( 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

The Courier | Open

[stimpakaddict]

Arrival

There's a clatter of confused footsteps, put with the shuffling of heavy cloth and metal - there's a very, very disoriented armored person stumbling about until they get their balance again. They look around once they're steadied, reaching up to tap at a switch in their helmet, making the eyes glow a dim red. All that does for the person is give them a better look at something they've never seen before, as well as some equally confused-looking faces.

The person straightens up, and starts patting themself down - the motions grow more and more panicked as they go, until they hit a pistol at their hip. That calms them for a moment, but they're still somewhat on edge. They draw in a long breath, and then huff it out in a bout of exasperation, just dropping their arms as a vocaliser in their helmet clicks, and a feminine voice is heard with a weary, weary tone that suggests this isn't their first teleportation kidnapping rodeo.

"Okay, what the fuck just happened, and who the fuck took all my stuff?"

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

"I don't know, but there's no need for such language!"

Is that a skeleton? Yep that is definitely a skeleton. And, despite being in the same situation as them, it seems cheerful enough.

"They took a few of my things, as well! Perhaps we should ask around?"

Papyrus | Arrival | Open!

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

Stunned but stable, Papyrus pulled himself to his feet and reached up, tentatively touching his neck bones as if afraid to find something wrong with them. They seemed solid enough, as did the rest of him, and after patting his arms and ribs and reassuring himself that, yes, everything was here, his body somehow didn't crumble to dust, he took a look around. The blueish light everything was bathed in reminded him a bit of Waterfall, but that was where the similarities ended. It was all too slick, too clean, too... foreign?

What a strange day he was having. Meeting and being beheaded by his very first human, then waking up in this new land. He took one careful step forward, then another -- everything was still there all right, everything worked -- and then he grinned much more genuinely. There was no telling where he was or what could have happened, but what a miracle! A second chance! Truly, he must be great to warrant something like this!

He strode forward and tapped the nearest person's shoulder, hoping to get their attention.

"Attention, please! My name is Papyrus, and I appear to have gotten turned around! Can you tell me where... uh... hey, what kind of monster are you supposed to be??"

[tigermillionaire]

Steven finds himself distracted by his thoughts for a long time after arriving. He's had this happen before, at least, so at least the base implausibility of it has no effect on him. Being in a new place, without most of your stuff or any of your friends...okay.

He can handle this. He just needs some time to let it sink in, and to get his stomach to start hurting. As such, he stays near the Ingress even after he's had his situation explained to him. He has to get it through to himself that this is all really happening.

Not that he isn't totally willing to engage which someone comes to him asking him for help. He's pretty much a pro at this part! Even if he's got a whole new list of things to learn when it comes to explaining to people what's what!

Oh, it's a skeleton.

The little nymph straightens himself up so he's not hanging out feet beneath Papyrus's eyelevel, stretching up onto the root-like toes of his long feet. He's entirely naked except for the flowers and moss covering his body, not that there's anything to see. He's got a satchel hanging from one shoulder, but that's it.

"Oh, I'm a nymph! Sorry, um...what was the problem? Are you lost?"

He can't help but regard Papyrus's physical form with some amount of curiosity. Even in Ryslig he never saw something like that. But...wait, how did he know Steven was a monster?

Lara Croft | Open on Board the Moira

[rraidergirl]

Arrival

[ It's a small miracle she doesn't pass out. Already well beyond her physical limits, Lara trips a little at the strange sensation of smooth, cool metal underfoot. Oh God! Why had she taken off her guns?! She thought she was done with this madness.

She makes a dive for the shadowy depths around her, anything to get out of the light. She scrambles close to the floor till she finds a wall to put her back against, hands straying back and forth from her bow across her back to the bloodstained (but really what part of her isn't?) pick axe on her hip. ]

Where... Where am I?

The Great First Aid Hunt

[ This is really very demonstrably not Yamatai. If the silence and comparative cleanliness wasn't a give away, the decided lack of armed men screaming to shoot her would have done it. Really, Lara wasn't even sure she was still awake. Maybe she had finally passed out and this was all a dream. Or maybe she was still stumbling through the filthy shanty town on Yamatai and this was all a fever dream...

Still. She needed to find first aid, real actual first aid, before she passed out, fever dream or no. Her boots were no where to be found, but it seemed more of a convenience than anything now, as she tried to move as quietly as possible through the large halls. ]

(ooc: just a heads up, lara won't attack outright, but she's keyed up as hell and prone to pulling a weapon at the slightest noise. time is irrelevant and sensible continuity don't matter, i'm down for multiple people helping this train wreck to the medbay, cuz i'm a sap. )

[seventhcrown]

Kairi did the absolute worst thing to do when you're lost: she started wandering around. She kind of had to move, had to do something in order to keep the panic from welling up and out from the mental box she'd managed to shove it in for the time being. And so far, she'd been utterly alone.

And then she heard slow, shuffling foot steps on the metal floor and twisted around for something to hide behind, but the hall was empty. Taking a harsh breath, she tried to plaster herself against the nearest wall and peek around the slight curve of the deck...

"Oh my gosh!" So much for staying low, but Kairi can't help it, running forward when she sees the bent-over woman trundle along, her clothes filthy and clearly injured. She ignores the bow and the other weapons hanging from the woman, she was probably too weak to use them right now. "Hold on, where are you hurt?"

Elsa | open

[isdronning]

observation deck;

[ Oh, this is so...bad.

Now that she's got some time where she's not being poked and prodded and being informed of her new whereabouts, Elsa finally has some time to herself to take all the information in. And realize just how bad the situation is.

Why? Why is she here? Why does she have to be here? She'd just found peace... Just found a place where she could be herself and not have to deal with the worries that other people bring with them, when suddenly... She's here. On a ship full of people. In the sky. In space, they called it. This is bad, this is so so bad. It's such close quarters, and there are so many other crew members...something could easily happen.

Obviously, she tells herself, she'll want to try to hide her powers from them all, as challenging as that's going to be. But as things at the coronation had shown, people didn't do well with learning about them, and she... Well, she didn't do well with people knowing about them. And of course, she'll have to keep to herself as much as possible, keep distance between herself and the others on the ship. She doesn't want to accidentally hurt them, and just being near her puts them in danger of that...

As she paces along the observation deck, Elsa leaves little patches of ice behind her where she's stepped, and the temperature in the area has certainly dropped--though it's not something she takes notice of. She'll be here, worrying and fretting for quite some time, not even taking in the beautiful view, so feel free to bother her--just watch your step. She's not doing a great job of hiding her powers just yet. ]


hallways;

[ Calmer now, Elsa decides to move forward with her plan. To hide her powers, to keep herself at a distance from the rest of the crew. This involves getting to her assigned room and hiding away in there, which isn't much of a plan, but it's all she's got for the moment.

In her hands, she carries the three uniforms assigned to her, which are covered in a light frost now from her touch. She intends to change into one of them immediately upon reaching her room--these are far less conspicuous than her ice dress, much as she loves it. But it's a representation, in a way, of her freedom, which has been taken from her. It seems only right that the dress goes too, in that case.

She steps down the hallways cautiously, blue eyes watching sharply for other people. They dart around, but the moment they land on someone, they drop down to the uniforms in her hands and she keeps walking in silence until they've passed. Then she again resumes her search. All she can do is hope that this method continues to work and that no one stops her for random chit chat--so far she's been lucky, but who knows how long that'll last? Oh, why does her room have to be so far away... ]

Observation Deck

[rraidergirl]

[ That's the trouble with losing your shoes, you're a lot more vulnerable to things like surprise patches of ice. She had been trying to slip through unnoticed. The woman doesn't seem particularly threatening, it's just that Lara's a mess of blood and mud, but well...

Lara jumps at the suddenly freezing cold touch on her bare foot, manages to step wrong on her weaker ankle (bear trap, don't ask) and goes down with a loud Oof! ]

Kairi | Arrival | Open

[seventhcrown]

She turned a corner in the Mysterious Tower, and was greeted with a flash of light.

And when she can finally blink past the spots dancing in her eyes, the solid wooden floors of the wizard's tower is now the cool, corrugated metal under her cheek. Its cold, and dark except for the faint blue glow that barely defines the room and the sound of her breath is too loud.

Stumbling around in the darkness, she has to wait for her eyes to adjust. This wasn't the Tower, so what was going on here? Heart suddenly in her throat, she draws her keyblade and strains to hear more in the strange room.

"H-Hello? Is anyone here?"

---;

Observation Deck

Her strange, flowery weapon is limp by her side as Kairi stares gobsmacked out at the mill of stars through the high windows. Her face is open with awe and wonder, but the hand that's on the railing is white-knuckled and nearly shaking.

It's pretty easy to sneak up on her right now, with her unable to tear her eyes away from the view.

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

Papyrus wasn't trying to sneak up on anyone -- he's pretty bad at it most of the time, all loud voice and rattling bones -- he just lost track of Sans and figured this was as good a place as any to search until he figured out where the greasy food was served. There's a human here, and an armed one at that, but he's starting to get used to the sight. So far, no one had seriously tried to hurt him, and he held onto the belief that this one was good, too.

But maybe strolling up behind her and going "HELLO THERE!" in his usual booming voice wasn't the greatest idea.

STEVEN UNIVERSE | THE GARDENS | OPEN

[tigermillionaire]

Steven could feel the trees long before he made it to the gardens, like a beacon of light within the darkness of the Moira’s metal hull. It’s weird for him, being here. Usually plant life is always lingering somewhere nearby – on the ground near the wall, in the forest outside of town, in the fields. Here, though, there are large areas that don’t feel like anything at all.

He was so incredibly relieved to hear about this place. He didn’t know how he’d survive in a ship with no greenery at all – his mind lingered on the images of the gem space vessels, all energy and something like stone or metal. He wonders what the trees here will be like. Will they still be the same? He’s never been sure how much of nymph life was Ryslig specific, and now he’s finally going to know once and for all.

When he enters the garden, he is immediately surrounded with the vibrancy of the life within – voices soft and melodic like the humming of crickets at night. His leafy ears rise in enthusiasm and relief, and he scampers over to some strange flowers that he knows by instinct but has never seen before.

“Hi there, I’m Steven!”

He brushes a pair of green root claws against the edges of their blossoms, like someone petting a kitten. The plants don’t recognize what he is immediately. He guesses they’ve never communicated with something both plant and animal before. It’s okay, though! They’ll have some time to get to know each other, it sounds like. He keeps talking out loud, even though all of their interactions are happening on a level beyond that.

“I’m a nymph! I’m like you...but different, I guess. It’s kind of a long story, but you’ll get used to it. This whole place is probably weird for you, huh?” The garden is strange in how different plants are sectioned away by the technology meant to sustain them. Definitely not much like the winding forests he’s accustomed to. “...Me too.” He hunkers down a little, sighing. “I didn’t expect to be here either...but I think it’s going to be okay, eventually. I hope so.”

He’s silent for a moment, and then his tail swishes with renewed interest.

“I’m from Earth. Where are you from?”

[neveroutwrenched]

Ratchet hasn't spent much time on the ships gardens. They're nice, but he's perfectly at home in the more artificial environment on the ship. And even if he'd wanted a sense of nature, the gardens weren't really what he was used to. But they were quiet...as good a place as any to go if you just wanted some time to think things over, or not think at all.

Being as unfamiliar as he is with what's in the gardens in the first place, he almost doesn't notice Steven. Doesn't really until he's close enough to hear him speaking...to the plants. At least he thinks he's speaking to the plants. Ratchet's about to try and politely insert himself into the conversation(?) when Steven mentions Earth, and without hesitating...

"Uh, sorry, did you say Earth?"

sans | open

[skelepun]

arrival;

The clang of metal on bone still rang fresh in his skull when he stepped forward, squinting into the pale blue light. Instinctively, Sans brought a hand to his chest, groping at his ribs for gaps. Nope. Solid. His hand came away clean, too.

Huh.

Another step. Sans slumped into a more familiar slouch, hands making their permanent home in his jacket pockets. The sensation of being one place and then suddenly, abruptly, elsewhere wasn't new to him. The fact that he remembered everything that happened just prior in perfect clarity? The freakish grin, the way light reflected off its knife, the heaviness of sleep as it finally took him?

Remembering it this well, that was new. It was enough to keep some of the tension in his shoulders from completely rolling away, even as he was swept through the orientation. Moira, starships, space, stars -- all fascinating and strange in their own right. In a different life, Sans would be struggling to keep his cool at the prospect. As it was, he took it all in with the same placid grin as always. New uniform? New digs? Check and check. No point in asking questions now. Sans didn't know which ones needed asking.

Not yet, anyway.

"So," he asked, positioned directly behind one of his fellow arrivals. "You get abducted often or this your first time?"

hallways;

It was late when Sans finally closed out his reunion with his brother, disoriented as he hadn't felt in years. While Sans doubted the laws of the universe (as he understood them) were much different, a few rules had definitely changed. That was... inconvenient.

Exploring the ship was important, and Sans fully intended to make a thorough inventory of each room... y'know, eventually. After Papyrus did it, probably. Maybe he'd get the big guy to draw him a map. A map with a big arrow pointing to the mess hall, because doing this kind of existential theorizing on an empty stomach was the worst.

Don't even get him started on not actually possessing a stomach in the first place. Torture.

"Hey, chief," he piped up, giving an extremely halfhearted two finger salute, "Mind pointing me to the cafeteria? I'm all bones over here."

bar;

Finally. Sweet manna from heaven. The place didn't hold a candle to the warm, familiar charm of Grillby's, but Sans wasn't a picky guy. Not when he needed disco fries and a drink in that order.

This place did serve disco fries, right?

He had to jump a bit to clear his way onto a bar stool (mental note: this ship was not designed with monsters in mind... or maybe he was just short). Steadying himself against the bar, he waved quickly to the bartender.

"Yo, what're the specials?"

And, to whoever might be seated with him:

"Hi." He jutted out a bony hand, grin stretched wide and fixed, as always. Even as he talked, his mouth did not open. "I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton."

ARRIVAL

[tigermillionaire]

Steven is in a similar state of just kind of wandering around. He's already got all the basic information tucked away, it's just sort of a matter of figuring out what to make of it. He guesses he's hanging out around the entry area out of habit. It's what he always did when new people showed up before, lost and confused...though, mercifully, no one showing up here seems to be hurt.

He's rifling through his medical bag, trying to see what he actually managed to bring with him, when Sans appears behind him. His leafy ears fan out in a moment of surprise, his tail thumping with interest as he turns around. It's actually nice getting to talk to people, even if he feels really weird. This guy sounds like he could use a bit of comfort, too.

"Oh, hi! Um! Actually this is my third time, I think..." he says, without really thinking about it. He blushes a little, a purplish tinge to his green skin. "I mean, second time through...dimensions...second time into space, and uh...third time all together!" He smiles. This was probably a more complicated answer than this guy was expecting. He waves in greeting.

"Hi, I'm Steven!"

Kazuhira Miller | OTA

[warandpeace]

☄GARDENS | OTA
Miller didn't expect to find much in the gardens when he stopped by. He just wanted a look around, to get used to the place. This time he just decided to sit near the sculpture, not thinking much of it, just settling in.

A flicker of reflected light caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, and he craned to look over his shoulder. Then stood in a suprising hurry as he noticed the statue. He saw a flicker, a brief image of himself as a young man staring back at him. Yellow ascot and all.

No, it was gone. His mind, just playing tricks on him.

Miller decided to roam again, though, set at unease by the thing. The cat that came toddling from behind one of the garden walls batting at nothing drew his eye. Chasing some nonexistent insect across the well kept floor. He managed to crouch down, clucked at it and wiggled his fingers to get it to come closer. It came scuttling in true hunter-cat fashion, eager for something to chase.

"You seem to like it here. Wonder where they got you." Talking to animals, huh Miller? Lucky there was no one around. He just ended up smiling to himself (still a rare expression for him) as it batted at the loose pants leg around the prosthetic. "Hey. You're pretty playful." He held the empty sleeve of his coat and dangled it over the cat, letting it throw its weight into trying to subdue the wiggly cloth.

It was probably the most content he'd felt since arriving.

☄AVELLE | OTA
No strings attached, huh?

As far as he'd seen, nothing here had worked that way.

Miller was going to have to get used to this. Every new place, he'll have to case out, learn what's necessary to protect himself. To keep an eye on his own, though it was taking a while to prioritize. He was being held to this job against his will, but most of the people here? In the same boat as he was. And there was a Snake that needed to make it home.

Miller shuffled down a walkway beside of the river, eyeing it suspiciously. Yeah. Not drinkable. Most rivers weren't where he was from anymore. Too much pollution, contamination, bacteria, whatever. But still, something to keep an eye on. He was walking around it down it right then just so he could take in any potential drainage openings, culprits for bad water quality or potential entrances if emergency required.

Something he hadn't not experienced since Afghanistan hit- an earthquake. He jostled in place and fell down, looked irritated. Not an earthquake. An explosion. More worrisome. He grunted angrily as he sat in the place where he went down, hand poised on the crutch ready to raise himself but not yet doing it. Couldn't make anything out across the waterline. Eyes weren't as good as they used to be. He squinted behind his aviator shades.



OOC: Open to prose or action.

Gardens!

[notglitching]

Given his current activity, maybe the rumbling noise didn't come as a surprise to Miller. It might have taken a moment or two to realize the sound was a little louder... and more mechanical... than anything this kitten could produce. But when he did turn around? He'd find a distinctly taller, more human-shaped, and more glowing figure.

Rumbling at him.

The user, Rinzler could easily assess. The plant-things, if not liked, were similarly within his experience—they'd had them at the user school he was trapped in before. But that... fuzz creature? Was new. The opaque helmet tipped towards it in indication before fixing on the user and angling to the side. The query isn't vocal, but it's not particularly subtle, either.

Identify.

Rinzler | Open!

[notglitching]

Arrival -> Observation Deck

Ingress. Moira. And space, and planet, and half a dozen other terms that read just as unfamiliar. Rinzler wrote all of the words to file, but hardly one phrase in three even parsed, and not for their sheer strangeness. No, the enforcer was focused on something much more important than the user's words, or scans, or the laughably pointless touch-agreement (Clu set his function; not her, and his permission had less than nothing to do with it). Rinzler was reviewing his own diagnostics.

He was himself again.

Disks at his back. Shell in place. Helmet on, and if it took visuals a micro to readjust, it was more than worth it to silence the gnawing prick of disobedience. Ever since he'd been stuck in a user body at that 'school', he hadn't been able to function as required. Now? Everything was back. He wanted to test it. To run, move, find a threat and bury his disks fist-deep in shattered code for the sheer joy of working right. By the time the diagnostic protocol was (finally) done talking, it took Rinzler only moments to retrieve his supplies and go. The user clothes were dumped unceremoniously in his backpack and shouldered to one side.

The wrist-device, he examined a little more dubiously. Did it come off? Attempts at data-gathering rapidly shifted toward trying to break the glitching shackle, and it wasn't until he nearly walked into a railing that Rinzler glanced up long enough to see the window. Or rather, the expanse beyond. Blackness, stretching out further than even the reaches of the Outlands and filled with unending points of light. The dichotomy might not be new, but there was something distinctly user about the soft, round lights. Like a hundred thousand Portals holding vigil.

If that thought makes a corner of his code feel far too small (and lost), it's still too much to look away from. One orange-glowing new arrival will be stalling in the walkway for a while, emitting an unusually quiet mechanical whir. Stalling... staring... and obstructing traffic. Whoops?


Cargo Bay

If Rinzler had committed the task-listing to memory, it wasn't until he actually made his way over to the assigned station that he realized what it meant. Transportation Technician. Function: 'transporter' (term: undefined?) repair, maintenance, and... piloting as needed. The enforcer stared up at the six large crafts filling one side of the bay, re-looped his data, and came to the same value.

They'd given him flight permissions.

Impossible. Bizarre. He was a new import (and certainly not one of them), not anyone they should give trust to. Even on the Grid, Rinzler hadn't been allowed to use the lightjet templates stored in his batons without Clu's direct command. But this wasn't the Grid, and if these shapes looked far more clumsy than a lightjet... he still wanted (wanted) to fly.

[Warning—]

The program's mask jerked sideways as he flushed away the glitch. Processing was pointless. Better to move. Two steps and a quick leap easily cleared the twelve foot gap from ground to wingtop, and if the structure rocked a little, it was too sturdy for his weight to displace much. Rinzler ascended to the spine of the craft and paced its length, inspecting the dish, the hooked cable, the raised module (cockpit?) near one end, and the spiked projections at the other. Was it weaponized? More data required, and that much, he probably shouldn't try to test indoors.

Still, the other occupants of the ship had probably at least seen these vehicles in operation. The enforcer paused at the front of the craft, red-orange lights along his mask a bright point of motion overhead as he searched the ground for sources of information. Anyone around for him to bother?


[[ooc: Feel free to use prose or spam as wanted! I'll match.]]

Observation Deck

[seventhcrown]

Rinzler wasn't the only one staring out at the velvet dark, feeling lost and small and maybe a little afraid when there wasn't a tide washing ashore to break the silence, sand under your feet and a sweeping ocean wind and a rising moon to silver the horizon to remind you of the hour. It was easy to be enraptured when home anchored you down.

But here, untethered, it was still beautiful, but the emptiness and silence was engulfing and frightening.

Hands white on the railing, Kairi gripped the bar like she might float off if she didn't hold on. And it takes a while for her to hear the soft whir of the program a few feet down the deck from her, and... well, she blinks for a few long moments because she's seen a few people come and go but nobody that glowed. So, call her curious, but she moves a little closer to the program.

"Hi," she says, gesturing with her head towards the view. "A bit... overwhelming, isn't it?"

James "Too Cool for School" Barnes | MOIRA

[sidecars]

MEDBAY
closed to steve

"Sir, it's only a simple scan--"

"Like heck it is! I refuse!" It's hard to keep up your dignity when you are stripped down to your tighty whities, but he does pretty well. The arms across his chest help a lot. His feet are growing cold against the tile, but he remains still and chin high among this scrutiny.

"We can't let you leave medbay until you've been cleared. As a military man, surely you understand--"

"Oh I understand, doll. But you ain't gettin' your hands or your tech on me!" And that's his final words on it. Not that it's any comfort to the nurse. She gives the orderly to her side a look, and now they all know where this is going to go. Works for Bucky! He pulls his arms back down to his side so he's ready. No knives, no tommy gun, but he's far from defenseless.

"Mister Barnes. You will have to clear medical."

"Then it looks like you're gonna have to make me!" Bucky's ready to fight for this. At this point he has nothing to lose, and there's nothing to learn about him if he's dead.



OBSERVATION DECK
open to all

There's very little that gets to Bucky. If anything, he's the first to run headfirst into any challenge or horror and come out scathed, but never the wiser. So how can he stop himself from scrambling headlong for the observation deck? It's one thing to say they are in space, it's quite another to actually witness it. He sure isn't the gullible sort!

But where scarred hands plant themselves against the glass (is it glass?) over a blue planet that isn't Earth, Bucky, gobsmacked, slowly buckles to the floor.

"Holy moley..." He just keeps repeating that over and over to himself. His legs feel like jelly and his head light, almost dizzy. He's never enjoyed heights or plummeting since his father's death, and this is just exasperating it. It's almost like he's floating over the planet with no ground to anchor him to. Is he falling? t feels like it. It feels like he can't really hold on to himself. Even if he wanted to leave, he's too nauseated to get back up.

[whatdidisay]

Okay, if there's one thing that Ivan is getting to enjoy here, it's watching people who've never been to space adjust. Mostly because their reactions are amazing in the sort of way that Ivan would categorically deny having any similar experience with. He didn't gawk at Barrayar the first time he saw it from orbit, obviously -- and he absolutely didn't stare at Eta Ceta with wide-eyed fascination that one time either.

Absolutely not.

So instead he just leans casually against the railing, handsome and radiating smug ease. He does have to admit that this one looks nice -- then again, so did the planet they ended up accidentally destroying. Ivan doesn't really like to think of that, nor about the amount of people who must have died. It's not my fault, he attempts to console himself with. I tried to help. But back to some friendly ribbing, because at least he can do that with a minimal amount of guilt.

"What, never seen another planet before?" His accent is noticeably Russian to anyone familiar with it, although odd, as if it'd been given time to change and grow away from what it might sound like on Earth.

Napoleon Solo | Open

[smoothaf]

Arrival;
[Shortly after Napoleon had arrived he'd immediately gotten changed to better blend in. Not to mention going commando was a little more comfortable this way. Then he'd gone through the MID although he didn't get any further than seeing his apparent twin. But now he knew who people would mistake him for and how to speak to encourage it.

He needs to get a feel for what's going on without giving away that he just got here so when the first person goes past, he waves at them.]

Good afternoon.

[He doesn't actually know if it's correct, but it was the afternoon back in Rome and that was a good a guess as any.]

Harashan | Dating 101
[He found himself signed up for classes he didn't need, but it gave him an excuse for more people watching. They'd apparently gone beyond sending a man into space to being able to sustain this sort of travel to far off planets.

The current lesson was on dancing with something that looked rather like a waltz. He offered his hand to his partner.]

Have you ever done this before?

arrival

[whatdidisay]

( ivan hasn't seen clark in person since he dragged his sorry, incredibly heavy ass to medbay. the exchange about the dating post was well enough proof that the other man was doing well, but it's nice to have visual confirmation. ivan grins at the greeting, and doubles back to keep pace with the other man. )

So they've finally released you from medical prison, huh?

( they probably did a while ago, but ivan's not the sort of person to care about the generalizations he makes when he's with friends. )

Tailgate | Open

[daintylegs]

[Observation deck]

To be quite honest, all of this felt pretty on par with what usually happened on the Lost Light. Like he was pretty sure they ended up at a circus once, and then there was the whole discovering Cybertron's lost moon and stuff like that. Not to mention time travel and some evil monster their captain had locked in their basement. Still, no one liked waking up in a place that was different from where they fell asleep in though, and Tailgate spent a good while panicking about that. Thankfully panic attacks eventually fade and Tailgate leaves their room to go explore.

It was very uncomfortable. The rooms and hallways were way too small, leaving him with a very closed-in feeling. He just wasn't used to being on a ship that just barely fit him. If anything he was used to ships that were three times too big. He wasn't going to complain, at least he could move comfortably around. For once he didn't envy either Ultra Magnus or Megatron for their size.

The observation room was big enough for Tailgate and he decided to hang out here for a while. The view was lovely and it seemed like the kind of place Tailgate could meet people. Naturally he was going to have a bit of fun with it, so he decides to change to his alt-mode.

Anyone wandering in might wonder what a small-ish car was doing on the observation deck. It's probably not the weirdest thing they've seen today, but it's certainly out of place. How strange.

[rraidergirl]

Incredibly strange. So much so that Lara, freshly patched up and feeling slightly less keyed up, had to break away from her current quest (she really wanted her boots back) to investigate.

The car didn't look like an that she'd seen before, which made sense. They were in space after all. Still.

"Surely this place can't be large enough to need a car," she said, mostly to herself as she settled her hands lightly on the hood, trying to peer into the interior through the windshield.

aurelia hammerlock / borderlands / ota

[diamondslap]

a. arrival

By this point in her life, Aurelia has seen and taken part in enough nonsense that the only reaction she has is a mildly annoyed grunt.

"Hrmn."

There it is. She'd drawn her pistol on instinct, keeping it raised while looking around. How inconvenient.

Scowling, she immediately starts to make her way out the area, gun still raised, not stopping to take in her surroundings or to find out who's with her. Hammerlocks always go for the best and if that means yelling at the captain and possible threatening (she really hopes she has to threaten them. Aurelia really does like threatening people.) then so be it.

b. harashan, dating 101

Taught how to date? Aurelia can't even begin to list the stupidity this planet seems to be infected with. The obsession with dating, everyone needing a significant other... poor people are so strange. Is this really what they need to fill their time with?

She'd been roped into dining practise. Not sure how, but she's utterly bored of it already. The point of her vacation was to hunt exotic animals and sometimes people! Not be taught things she already knows! If you're unlucky enough to be paired with her for whatever activity this is, she takes one look at her partner and snorts.

"Now, is this a...ugh, dating service or a zoo?" She cranes her neck, looking around. "They aren't even attempting to kill us. How dull."

B

[sidecars]

Well Bucky finds it funny, even if he doesn't realize she is not trying to be remotely humorous. She's a looker, so honestly he'd laugh at anything she said if it got him points.

"I gotta say, as a man who looks for the kind of doll that can put me over a barrel too, it's a shame they aren't taking that criteria seriously." It's kind of important what with his line of work.

Varric Tethras | Open

[brosbeforeprose]

Arrival

He's still dwelling on the argument an hour later, shoving some poison vials in a pocket and fixing his belt properly in place.

"You know what I think?" The sight of Cadash looking at him with a clear expression of, you just had to have the last word, didn't you, with Cassandra's face entirely unreadable, even to him. "If Hawke had been in that temple, she'd be dead too. You people have done enough to her."

The dwelling lasts through the rest of his suiting up and his march out of his cold Skyhold chambers. He turns, carefully latches the door...and for a split second he thinks it's Cassandra's hand on his back, the Seeker back to finish what she started. But it's a gentle touch, though somehow disorienting, and his vision goes misty, blurs over--

- he might fall over -

- puts out a hand to steady himself but the door's no longer there -

--the breath seemed to have been caught in his lungs, and now bursts from his lips in a sound perilously close to a real, actual 'oof'. No one does that in real life.

The world that sharpens in front of his eyes is not the one he just left. It's blue, or he would suspect it of being the Fade - he can't believe in that dwarves can't visit the Fade swill anymore; he's been in it physically himself - but it's sure as hell not Skyhold. It's smoother, metallic. Not a single brick to be seen.

He spins around, already reaching for the crossbow strapped to his back.

"What in the--"

Said crossbow is huge, and probably rather intimidating when aimed at, say, you - even if the man holding it is all of 4'9'' tall.

Mess Hall

"Andraste's tits."

Mess duty. Mess duty. He feels like a cabin boy.

A cabin boy travelling through an infinite void - The Void? He doesn't know; he's not up for philosophy today - but nevertheless. He's wearing a uniform that's far too big for him - he's rolled back the sleeves and the legs, but he still looks a right bleeding idiot.

"Join the Inquisition, they said. See the world, they said." He's talking to himself, not strictly to any of the people nearby, but then he catches somebody's eye and shrugs, entirely shameless. "Technically, what they actually said was 'you're coming with me' and pointed a sword at me, but 'see the world' was definitely implied on that pointy end. Anyway, few weeks later, now I'm a serving wench. Need anything?"

mess hall

[skelepun]

Jaw cupped in two bony hands, the only clue to Sans's interest was the slight dilation of his eyelights. Short, humanoid, but not a child? Interesting.

"Got any ketchup back there? I seem to have run out." He waves an empty bottle demonstratively before plunking it down next to three equally empty ones. Words slurring, it might be more than just interest at play in his eye sockets.

Cyrus Crautz | OTA

[soulist]

ARRIVAL

[ Of course his arrival doesn't go as smoothly as planned. Upon being brought to the Moria Cyrus is lacking shoes which is no small amount of annoying. Why his shoes?! He doesn't even know, but he looks pretty annoyed about it. He'll cough a few times as he wanders the halls aimlessly. He was definitely teleported onto another ship, but he's not quite sure how. His first instinct is to be on guard, but once he's roamed around enough to realize no one is actively trying to kill him he might ease up every so slightly.

Either way the distinct metallic thud of his robotic foot alerts anyone to his presence. If you're not turning around at those sounds then perhaps a light tap on the shoulder might do it instead. ]

You haven't seen a pair of boots around here have you? I...guess they took mine? Left everything besides that. [ He looks so confused and awkward. It's admittedly a bit silly going around asking people about his shoes. But oh well?! He can't exactly go walking around barefoot can he? ]

GARDENS - MORIA

So this is the gardens huh? [ It's pretty nice for an enclosed habitat on a spaceship. Once he's properly found his pair (or any pair) of shoes he'll make his way around the entire ship. ]

Maybe I should look into getting one installed in my own... [ once he gets back of course...if he gets back. But if he runs into anyone while there he might give a small smile and a question. ]

Are you new here as well?

HARASHAN - DATING 101

[ Cyrus has done many things in his life but dating is not one of them. He is as awkward as one can be when it comes to the subject, and being forced into one of those classes isn't helping. So you might have him as a clumsy dance partner one of the days there. He's trying not to crush people's feet with his robotic foot, he's sorry?! ]

I don't get why the hell they're making us do this. [ He is not having a good time right now and feels so attacked, tbh. WHY THIS?! He might cough a few times as the dancing continues, but pay no attention to that. He focus is entirely directed towards his feet which kind of makes his pouting somewhat childlike in how it looks. ]

Who the hell made them in charge of our love lives anyway? [ Said mostly as an annoyed grumble laced with exasperation. Honestly this isn't the weirdest thing he's even been through, but it sure is raising some flags. ]

arrival;

[commontype]

What happened to your shoes?

[Eggsy thinks the guy is new, since he hasn't seen him around before this, but also knows this place is messed up enough that he could have been here longer than him.]

Someone take 'em? I can help get 'em back.

[Or he could lend the guy a pair of his own. He's only got a few, but Eggsy has been here long enough to have a few things like that.]

They also got spares in the cargo bay, or I've got some if they'll fit.

Pepper Potts | OTA

[handing]

MOIRA - Starting at the Observation Deck and going pretty much anywhere!

[Running into Bruce so shortly after her arrival has done a great deal of good for Pepper; she's gotten answers about where they are from someone she trusts, even if in his own mind they haven't yet met. Now comes the inevitable next step, acceptance of her situation marked by an exploration of her surroundings. She turns her back from the planet after a final look, then focuses on something a bit smaller in scale. If she's stuck on this ship then she has to learn its paths, and also about its people. Whatever cruel joke of a job "Chief Morale Officer" might have been intended to be, she means to make more of it, not in service of the ships or these as of yet unseen captains, but rather for the people she's trapped with. She won't do them disservice of pretending she can just waltz in and somehow make things better though. Not when she still has so little idea of what they've been through (of what she can expect to endure in the future), so making acquaintances is on the agenda for the moment, with a side trip to find where she's expected to stay and to work.]

Nomo Deck 012

[seventhcrown]

It took an embarrassingly long time for Kairi to find Nomo Deck. The ship was jaw-droppingly huge, and she had to constantly check on the strange device - that she barely understood - on her wrist to be sure she was going in the right direction. She probably wandered past the right door twice, and ended up going the full loop of an entire deck before she found the number twelve on the door. Her device beeped and she heard the door unlock before she even touched it. Huh, that was... kinda neat.

But what wonder she had for the minor conveniences of advanced technology is buried under the exhaustion. She just wanted to nap, hopefully under about ten blankets because her thin, pink zip up dress was made for tropical afternoons, not a giant ship in the depths of space.

The sight of the bunk beds make her pause. Kairi was an only child, the last time she'd shared a room had been at a sleepover. But the bunks seem too neatly made to be occupied. Maybe she'd have the place to herself? She closed the door behind her and wandered in.

"Hello? Anyone around?"

Sam Flynn ||Tron: Legacy || OTA!

[whoami]

I Arrival --> Observation Deck

The leading edge of that radiance was coming closer, faster, it was the brightness that became a supernova or an event horizon at the edge of a Black Hole--

The last thing Sam could remember was that moment where he felt a deep and innate sense that this was definitely not the arcade. Wherever "this" happened to be that is. He still became fully aware of his surroundings while laying full length on the floor. His disk was at least close by since that was in front of him, but it took several seconds for his eyes to adjust. When they did? Panic started to set in.

"Quorra? Quorra!?"

Rolling off his side and onto his stomach he could see he still had the Disk Wars armor on. He managed to grab his disk up, and put that away. Sam got to his feet quickly, unsure what he was supposed to be dealing with here when a cursory look one direction didn't show much, and a cursory check in the other--

Sam froze for a solid thirty seconds. Then he very slowly stood up.

A planet. A planet that appeared mostly blue but was so not recognizable as Earth it wasn't even funny. The fact there was any way to see another planet let alone seeing it like this stretches the mind. Sam was so taken with that view, he hadn't noticed the backpack or the clothes or the MID attached to his wrist.

II Hallways

This place was laid out by someone with a creepily obsessive attention to detail.

This entire place was self-sustaining. Nothing was the right size, though, since Sam's cursory exploring was getting pulled up short by the odd and completely randomly placed wall. Well kind of a wall. Partition? Whatever it is sometimes it's made of metal and rivets. Sometimes it's plastic (the see-through kind) Sometimes there are even doors but Sam doesn't go in those.

Finally, tired of fruitless walking, Sam scowls and stops right there. Instead he focuses on trying to get the MID off his wrist. So far pulling and shaking don't work. It had to get on somehow. The trick was going to have to be how to find a way inside...

Continued from the TDM meeting

[fight4theusers]

(Link here)

Tron felt something inside his code glitch and twist at Sam's words, a shattering sensation of loss. His hands curled into fists as his sparse circuits brightened, his jaw clenching.

Flynn didn't... after everything, after so many cycles, Flynn didn't make it out...

"Reintegrated. That... that would destroy them both." He'd heard Clu speak of it, on occasion, as something he knew Flynn would never attempt. "Flynn..." He shook his head, eyes momentarily slipping closed in pain of losing his old friend.

Whatever he felt now, though, he knew it was nothing compared to what Sam had experienced. Looking up again, he met Sam's eyes. "I..." he stopped short, cut himself off. How could he apologize? What could he say to make it right?

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

ARRIVAL

Be careful what you wish for.

[J scoffed to herself silently as she walked away from the Ingress, her high heels making a sharp noise as they hit the metal floor. It was true that earlier during the same day she had decided to disappear but getting abducted on a space ship wasn't exactly what she had in her mind.

Feeling still very disoriented and uncomfortable, J stayed quiet her whole stay at the medbay only answering to the questions like what's her name and such. Obediently she changed to her new uniform despite hating the design of it. But hey, at least it was much warmer than her little back dress.

As soon as the fuzziness began to fade away J took out her cigarettes and lit one for herself, not caring that it might bother other people at the med-bay.]

NOMO DECK

[J wasn't impressed with her new living quarters. Granted, Nomo Deck wasn't the worst place she's stayed at, but still compared to her previous apartment in middle of New York the place felt like a huge downgrade.

There was a dissatisfied look on her face as she entered her new room, like the whole furnishing was an awful insult to her. Seeing that there was two beds in the room earned an annoyed sigh from her. She hadn't lived with a roommate like this since she left the school and certainly wasn't looking for it. She dropped her stuff on the lower bed and left to explore the rest of the quarters. Even though it wasn't to her liking, it was still pretty tolerable.

At least until she reached the bathing area.]

Oh, for the fucks sake!

BAR

[This had been a long day and lot of had happened. It was almost hard to believe that less than six twelve hours ago she had been in New York, being interviewed by a reported who wanted to publish her story in a magazine. Then there had been a fight, which ended with her storming away-- and now she was on a ship that was sailing among the stars. It was all lot to take in. But despite feeling rather overwhelmed by all these events, J kept walking around the ship and exploring the different parts of the ship. However, her gloomy frown turned upside down as she found her way to the bar.

Alcohol was exactly what she needed at the moment! Something to help her calm down and numb her. And of course, as a previous club-singer she couldn't help but see it as an opportunity to get a better job-- but that would have to wait.

J lit another cigarette for herself and approached counter. But as she was eyeing the different bottles on the shelf she remembered that she didn't have any money on her. So, she moved next to the closest person, leaned in and batted her eyelashes while giving them an alluring smile.]

Hello, darling. Won't you get me a drink, please?

[OOC: J's wearing only her uniform so she's looking like an effeminate man here.]

bar;

[wedealwithit]

Oh, uh. Hi, again.

[Danny shouldn't be drinking, shouldn't even be in the bar. He knew what he was like in these situations, how he'd act, what he'd do, but he was heartbroken, exhausted. He needed a break. Something to take his mind off the fact that he felt like he couldn't catch his breath, like he'd never catch his breath.]

I'll get you something, what's your favorite?

[He settles on the stool beside her, grinning in return to the smile she offers him. Danny liked her, she was different than others he'd met, and he was glad for that.]

Somethin' sweet?

Danny Holt | ota

[wedealwithit]

a. Advertising Love
"we used to dream of outer space, but now they're laughin' in our face, tellin' us to wake up"

[Danny was adjusting, at a rather sedate pace considering that he was still a bit lightheaded, uncomfortable with all of this. He'd thought at first that he might have died, that it was all over, but if he was dead, this wasn't how everyone described the afterlife. He'd settled into his room, found his way to the mess hall and bar, and now out onto the planet, it felt too real to be fake or imagined.

He'd just been walking through Harashan, and walking, walking, and then he'd stopped at the large billboard in front of him. Danny'd never seen a holographic advertisement before, also not one that showed flashes of so many different kinds of happy faces. All genders, races, orientations, and so openly set upon the fact that this company could find you your soulmate. He didn't like it, thought it was probably something of a scheme to make money.]

Is that real, Linked incorporated?

[He says the full name, mulls it over on his tongue, shuffling his feet and turning slightly to face the person nearest him.]

b. An Arrested Development
"heartless, don't trust a perfect person, and don't trust a song that's flawless"

[St. Murtel was sort of cold, everything in its place, where it should be, neat and clean, and reminded him of a person he missed so much that he was leaving to go back to the ship only after going a few blocks into the city. He has his hands in his pockets, shoulders back and head up as he moves quickly down the streets, hopefully back in the direction of some transportation.

His quick escape is stalled when he sees the commotion, and he comes from a neighborhood that gives him a bit of intuition when it comes to these sort of things. Someone is in trouble with the authorities and everyone's standing around, watching, staring. He moves through the crowd to get a closer look, a better look, at what might be going on, but not close enough to get caught up in it.]

What do you think they've done?

[Danny angles his body towards the man beside him, still watching the scene, brows furrowing when the man shouts out - The Komai won't stop until it's over! Which is strange, surely, if it's anything, it's that.]

a!

[soldiergenes]

[ This would be the first time that Snake has been forced to engage in any kind of internet dating or matchmaking program. (Otacon had known better than to ever suggest it, though he'd probably had the thought a time or two.) Really, he wouldn't have even bothered if it hadn't been his only ticket off of the Moira. Given that they were going to be docked for at least a month, he needed to take that chance to stretch his legs and gather more intel.

Still, a whole planet focused on methods to help someone find their soulmate strikes him as even more ridiculous than their last stop. Are people that desperate to find someone?

The first dock is the planet's largest city, Harashan, and so Snake decides to start there. It's by complete chance that he comes upon one of Link, Inc's billboards at the same time as another crew member, and when the stranger turns to him to ask a question, Snake only shrugs and digs into his uniform pockets for a cigarette.

Then he realizes that the man's face is familiar, and...

Oh, great.

Whatever, it's not like he has to acknowledge the match-up he'd been given. He hadn't taken that survey seriously for a second. ]

They're going to a lot of effort to seem real. I bet the people who live here take it pretty seriously. But it still seems like one huge joke they're playing on us.

[ There's more to this, that would be his guess. There's always something else brewing under the surface. ]

Megatron | OTA

[aminerproblem]

MOIRA

Hallways

[On your way to something? You might not be for long. There's something big, gray and caterpillar-treaded occupying almost the entire width of the hallway. The heavy hum of some kind of engine likely hinted something was approaching long before it turned a corner.]

[But oddly enough, rather than keep paving through, what appears to be some kind of space tank stops upon apparently spotting something in its path. The tracks halt with a hiss of hydraulics, and waits. No use ruining a good track record by accidentally squishing someone.]

[If it takes more than a few moments to move, a brusque and impatient voice will thrum from within the vehicle.]

Get going.

Cargo Bay
[If Megatron pulled out a laundry list of the ridiculous things that had happened to him in the past 12 months, being winked onto a human spaceship would fit right in between 'being chased by a planet' and 'exploring your quantum duplicated starship'. He was used to this level of nonsense and learned to just go with the flow - at least for now.]

[Ever the diligent one, it doesn't take long for him to scout out his new workspace while on the ship. He was going to be spending an unknown amount of time here, might as well get acclimated.]

[Rolling through the wide entrance in vehicle mode, Megatron stops next to one of the transport ships, and transforms. Folding out of the compact form of the tank, he stands to his full height and leans on one of the smaller shuttles to warm his joints and actuators, straining the shuttle's landing gear just a tad. Being fed toxic sludge starts to do a number on your systems after a while!]

Holoform

[It would be three in the morning on Earth when something starts flickering in the Mess Hall of the ship. Or maybe it was the hallway? Or your room?]

[Sometimes, a figure starts to take shape before winking out of existence. Then appearing again, levitating, or perhaps taking a few steps, before fading back into the aether. What the hell?]

[Finally, a few hours later, the familiar computer-glitch flicker crackles in the air. But this time, it starts to fully take shape and solidify. Controlling a holomatter avatar wasn't the most difficult of tasks, but sometimes the projection systems needed a little recalibration. Megatron had even gone through the process of adjusting it to match the thermals and clothing he had been given earlier - now in a newer form.]

[Apparently unaware that humans weren't supposed to just wink into existence, the avatar curiously adjusts the cuffs of its uniform like it didn't just literally materialize out of nothing.]

Interesting armor that humans choose to put on themselves...

((ooc: will match prose or action format!))

cargo bay

[soldiergenes]

[ Niko hadn't been wrong when he'd mentioned that work in the cargo bay tended to be boring. They were the only two assigned to that area, and seeing how the Moira didn't dock at planets that often, most of the time all they did was move boxes around or repair vehicles (and Niko usually handled the latter portion).

So Snake, while dressed up in his work uniform and situated in the cargo bay during his assigned hours, isn't actually doing much. He's leaned up against a large shipping container and smoking one of the cigarettes he'd thankfully been granted. He's doing what he can to ration them, but it's tough when he's bored.

That all changes when an actual tank rolls in. Snake hasn't seen this particular vehicle around the cargo bay before, which is his first clue that something's wrong. His initial thought is that Niko must be driving it, and maybe the tank had just been in storage somewhere, but then...

Then it transforms.

Snake watches the process as a solid sense of dread forms in his gut. He should have known this was coming, his life could only ever go on for so long before some giant robot entered it.

It has a face, but so had RAY, to some extent. Is there actually a pilot in there, and if so, where the hell did they come from? The walking tank leans itself up against one of the other vehicles and almost looks like it's resting, but Snake's already reaching for a gun he'd unfortunately left in his room.

Really, what he needs is Niko's RPG.

Stance defensive, Snake stares up at it, trying to figure out where the cockpit is located. His face doesn't hide any of his weary anger -- this is a man who's already 100% done. ] What the hell...?

Rosethorn | Open!

[earthandpine]

[Arrival]

Rosethorn's first thought is for her boy and his student. "Briar, Evvy!" she calls out. Never mind that she'd feel Briar if he were here, at least if he was within range. Of course, neither of them answers. She doesn't see them. Almost as bad, when her hand goes to the more accessible portion of her mage kit, Rosethorn's only real weapons are gone. Whoever took her seems to be aware of her power; why else would they take balls of seeds and leave her with her knives?

Everything, or almost everything, around her is metal. No earth for plants to grow into, no plants for her to use for help or extra senses in case of an emergency. She'd give a lot for Daja or Frostpine's senses right about now. What she sees out the window... it can't be real. She hasn't left the world behind entirely.

She turns to the nearest person, scanning their face to see if they look just as confused as she is. If so, she says, "You were taken too? From where?" That would hopefully at least give her some hint of where she is now, how long she's been gone.

If, on the other hand, whoever she looks to seems to have a better idea of what's going on, Rosethorn's tone is a lot sharper. "Who took us? What do they want?"

--

[Gardens]

When she finally leaves the observation deck, Rosethorn passes by something that pulls to her magic. She steps into the gardens and sighs audibly in relief. It's a greenhouse, essentially, just like the one she's given Crane such a hard time about for years. But there are green things, and she doesn't feel quite so cut off or defenseless.

Rosethorn kneels on the ground, letting all the plants nearest reach out to touch her. She decides she's safest in here, at least for the time being. She isn't keeping as tight a rein on her emotions as usual, so the whole garden is likely to be livelier than usual, and defensive of her to boot. Try not to upset Rosethorn, or the local vegetation may behave in unsettling ways.

Eventually, she'll comply with orders and complete tests to get off the ship, but not until she's good and ready. She'll do that on her own terms, not on anyone else's. Cooperating has never been Rosethorn's strong suit.

gardens

[backsassin]

[Rosethorn isn’t the only one who’s taken to the gardens as a means of escape. The announcement of their expected activities on the planet below had only darkened Zam’s already uncharacteristically troubled mood and, looking for a distraction, the shapeshifter had fled to the ship’s gardens.

He sits at the base of the tree, hands resting on the ground beside him. Most wouldn’t consider Zam a meditative type, but thanks to meditation’s significance as a means of pain relief for Clawdites and as a spiritual tool for the Mabari, Zam at least knows how to do it. He’s doing his best to clear his mind, to ignore his surroundings, but something distracts him. A strange, soft prickling under the thumb of his right hand. He glances over with a frown, expecting some sort of problem with the prosthetic. Instead, he sees tiny green tendrils sprouting from the soil beneath and around his right thumb.]

What the hell-- [He leaps to his feet, hurriedly brushing off his hands as he stares at the spot where he had been sitting. Where his thumb and the left side of his right hand had rested, thin sprouts grow from the soil, some sporting tiny green leaves. Rather than react with wonder or curiosity, Zam glares down at the plants as if they’ve personally wronged him.]

Can I go one day on this ship without something impossible happening? [He’s so preoccupied, he doesn’t notice he’s not the only one in the gardens.]

Elizabeth Dewitt || OTA

[tearmeanewone]

[Library / Collection Building]

[Like on Caducus Primary, Elizabeth's first order of business is to introduce herself to the staff of the closest library to the landing site (Harashan, looks like...) and start negotiations for book acquisitions. The last time, the people had been culling their collection and were happy to pass along outdated volumes and trade for the ones they would have to replace.]

[Apparently Elizabeth wasn't having such good luck this time. Everything was a business, even love, so of course they wanted something for everything.]

You can't tell me you've never gotten rid of a book before because it was old or outdated-- you must have storage somewhere, stuffed with things like that.

[The librarian reiterated the same roadblock-party-line much to Elizabeth's frustration. She'd have to be wise about what she purchased, she only had so much to trade with.]

[Eventually she does manage it after more back and forth with other officials, and she exits the library with the first box. She hefts it up and starts carrying it back to the Moira, looking significantly more annoyed than last she looked while carrying a box of acquisitions.]

[But once she's back in the library and putting them on the shelves, she's considerably happier. The collection has definitely grown since she started it with Thán's collection, it's becoming her pride and joy and she's thrilled to show it to anyone.]

((OOC: Find her when she's bickering with the library staff, carrying the box back, or at the library!))

[Harashan]

[Elizabeth has no lofty ideas of her dating prowess-- she is Not Good At It. From a lack of practice, obviously. She can carry on a conversation, be enthusiastic about whatever activity is chosen, find just about anything interesting, but where she falls down is knowing what's expected of her. What her partner's goals are. And she can't just ask, that's awkward and invasive.]

[There was also that awkward sense that the world moved faster than Elizabeth is used to. She knows that Ivan, for example, must think somewhere inside of him that she's naive and infantile for making such a big deal about hand holding. She didn't want to move quickly though, so to speak, where was the rush anyway? Weren't they just supposed to be having fun and doing things with people? This is so difficult.]

[But still, that isn't stopping her from trying. Her favorite thing is, obviously, the dancing lessons. She dances with anybody who asks, and sometimes if she catches sight of someone looking uncertain on the fringes she'll approach them. But she manages the etiquette lessons with flying colors, and nods her way through some coaching on her conversation. ...she's not sure why she needs to laugh at everything her date says that could possibly be considered amusing, but it's apparently encouraged.]

[Avelle]

[Elizabeth steers clear of St. Murtel-- she's had enough of doctors and hospitals to last a lifetime-- but Avelle seems an interesting place to test what she's been learning. She spots quite a few more families while walking around the city, too, which always makes her smile.]

[One night she ventures into a club on her own, curious but also drawn by the loud music coming out of it. Dancing? Drinks? She's willing to try it all, even if she has to do it on her own.]

[Harashan - 18th]

[A strange address handed to her by a strange person? Of course Elizabeth DeWitt is about to stick her nose where it doesn't belong. Is it a party? Is it a secret storage facility?]

[Neither, apparently. It's a burned out warehouse or hangar or something. Elizabeth wanders in, piece of paper clutched in her hand, looking around curiously for some indication of why she's here.]

[It's clear to her that there was a firefight here, but why? What had been here previously? She frowns and crouches down to examine a blood stain.]

Library

[intherigging]

[Jacky entered the library with a bit of a flourish, dancing and singing as she went. She'd only been outside for an hour before coming back to the ship, but already her spirits were soaring. Honestly, the only reason why she'd come back so soon was that she'd finished her most recent 'library book' (a fantastical story about magic and hunting monsters--a good read, despite the more recent ship-wide events) and was looking for something else. A history book, perhaps. It would be nice to stop getting caught so flatfooted all the time.

She was singing the song that Elizabeth had sung for her the first time they met, adding her own lyrics here and there to fill out the verses.]

And girls, they want to have fun, oh!

[Spying Elizabeth, she twirled to a stop with a grin.] Haloo, Elizabeth! Got a good haul?

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.

Bruce Banner » open

[hyperkinesia]

MOIRA. 1^st » 17^th

[ Even as they approach this new planet, Bruce debates on whether or not he should leave the ship at all. The last month hasn't been pleasant at all, so if nothing else he knows that stepping out onto the planet would help him feel better and relax after that whole ordeal, but the memories of what happened on the last planet they've been to are still very fresh on his mind. Granted, that had been a far more fragile planet than this one, and it was much less likely that the same thing could happen again, but even so, he can't help but worry that the situation will go south somehow.

Still, he fills out that pointless questionnaire, in case he decides to go down to the planet. For the first few days he still doesn't leave the ship, only on the 5th does he venture to one of the cities. Even then, he comes back aboard every night, not daring to stay on the planet overnight, so for all that while he can be found aboard the ship, generally out and about in the observation deck, the library, sometimes even in the recreation area, taking some time by himself. ]

EMIRI; SHOPS, TRAIN, OUT & ABOUT. 5^th » 17^th

[ While down on the planet, he focuses on getting to know the place, carrying with him a small notepad and every so often writing down on it, as well as taking a few pictures of the most various landmarks. He's relatively approachable, both while strolling outside on any of the three cities, during the train ride taking him from one city to the other, or checking out any stores that might sell clothes and whatever other supplies or accessories he thinks he might need. After the complicated month they had aboard, he wants to be a little better prepared. ]

HARASHAN; DATING 101. 5^th

[ Let it be noted that Bruce definitely did not sign up for this. The only reason he goes along with it at first is because he doesn't want to establish bad relations here - the captains might have more dubious objectives but he doesn't want any trouble himself -, but he will use the first opportunity he gets to get out of there.

He's quietly keeping to the sidelines during the dancing lessons, and the moment he knows no one is looking at him, he slips out into one of the hallways or nearby rooms, aiming for a quick and silent escape. He will run his way out if he has to eventually, but he'd rather leave without causing any trouble or drawing any attention to himself.

Anyone may stumble onto him then, or he might just bump into someone as he takes a turn without first checking where he's going. ]

Oh-- sorry.

AVELLE; BOMBS AWAY. 18^th. Locked to Pepper.

[ It may be a lucky thing that Bruce is right on the margins of the river when the explosion happens, and the ground shakes beneath him. Of course that his first reaction is to panic - immediately he looks around, visibly tense, trying to see what's happening, and only calming down when the tremors stop, and he sees the ship going up in flames in the middle of the water.

He's close enough to see it all: the few figures being picked up and taken by the authorities, the black curtain of smoke that rises above them not covering any of it, the mutters and whispers of a word (or a name), and the pieces that begin to wash ashore as the ship slowly falls apart. Some of them are too big for Bruce to do more than just take pictures - and he takes a lot of those, as he has of the boat and the authorities near it -, but the moment he sees one small enough for him to carry, he goes over and picks it up, looking at that drawn symbol briefly before he shoves it into one of his bags.

Something's off here. A terrorist attack, maybe? It certainly looked like it, but a lot more controlled and quickly resolved than he would have expected. The murmuring and whispering makes it seem even stranger, even more so when everyone looks away from him the moment he tries to ask them about it. He keeps looking around, trying to spot a familiar face, and when he does, he walks over, waving once he's nearer to get her attention. ] Pepper!

Harashan; Dating 101

[intherigging]

[Jacky had no intention of actually going through with any of this 'match' bull, but the dance, music, and language lessons were interesting enough for her to sign up for these 'dating' classes. What wasn't interesting, however, were the 'conversation' lessons. She'd had to sit through such nonsense at Peabody, like hell she was going to go through it again. Besides, from what she saw from this future, one of the amazing things was that women could do things now, and men weren't allowed to say nay (the other, more amazing thing was that trousers on women were commonplace, and comfortable).

Sneaking out under false pretences ('women's troubles', never failed), she quickly moved through the halls, looking for one of the more interesting lessons to infiltrate. And ran smack into one of her shipmates.] Oh, I am so very sorry!

Andrew Warner ☾ Open

[willinglychanged]

Arrival;

[Drew hadn't exactly expected to be snapped up by a spaceship. Especially not when he'd been lying on a couch waiting for Tyler to get back from the bathroom and fix the damn internet. Suddenly arriving on a spaceship surrounded by a bunch of crap that had been lying on aforementioned couch which he haphazardly goes about collecting in his arms, along with all the crap the staff seemed to be giving him on top of that. He ended up looking like a pack mule... if a pack mule carried forks, drugs, noodles and television remotes.

Everything seemed to have the air of a big rush, like he had a billion and one things to do and no time to do any of them. Which was a sensation that the werewolf really didn't care for or deal particularly well with. His instinct was to get high and lie down in a corner rather than instantly commence his space voyage. Except underneath it all there was this huge buzz of excitement, knowing that life was about to change.

He eventually gets out of the med bay though, only to barrel into a stranger and throw all of the crap he'd only just gathered all over the floor with a loud groan.] Damn it... I'm gonna have t'make some sacrifices.]

Harashan - Dating 101;

[Drew wasn't the most intelligent of folk, nor was he particularly good at learning things. One thing he was good at though was being incredibly persistent. Which is exactly why he signed himself up for the amazing dating class. If nothing else it might help him improve his game further than sleeping around and never saying so much as see you tomorrow.

So he's just going to smile sweetly at the person in the desk beside him, fluttering long eyelashes.] Hey uh, you got a pen? [Because of course he wouldn't even bring writing implements, or know where to have got them at the beginning of the class. Let's just hope there's no practical applications with how obviously inept he was.]

Wildcard;

[Any other way you want to introduce your character to Drew is a-okay. Whether on the Moira or on planet I really don't mind. I can be contacted on xehalest for any questions!]

Wildcard- Family Matters

[whynotgoonmyown]

[There's something inherently amusing about a planet that somehow managed to make everything about it all about matchmaking. The fact that there's even an entire city all about romantic matching is almost ridiculous.

But somehow, all of that is peanuts in terms of hilarity when compared to the fact that somehow, even in a completely different plane of existence, not only had Drew followed him there, they had also somehow been paired as the match. That was really... Something.]

Kinda makes you wonder if it's some sort of sign, doesn't it? [Is the first thing he says once the two are inside their assigned apartment. Because, well... It does!]