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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.HARASHANCommercial & 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 )
AvelleRomance & 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. MurtelGenetic & 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)! )
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hownkai) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thisavrou_log2016-01-01 12:09 am
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Well, that certainly answered that question.
[ She stands again, but hesitates before opening the door. ]
I don't expect this to be terribly exciting, you don't have to come along.
[ It's a genuine warning more than anything. She doesn't expect it to be exciting, but... ]
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Don't say I didn't warn you.
[ the door of the house is large and solid, but gives with a shove. It opens into a long, dark hallway, lined with doors. Grey sunlight filters through several of the doors that have been left aja, dust stired by the opening door floating in the air. Lara hums thoughtfully.]
Should have brought a flashlight. [ all the same, she steps over the threshold, moving carefully, but steadily down the hall, counting doors as she goes. ]
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the choose your adventure portion
The floor feels rotted through in some places, be careful.
[ There are five doors in the hall, two already open. Through one of the open doors, they can glimpse the dust covered remains of what looks to be a sitting room, couches and chairs arranged neatly and bleached by the sunlight from the open curtains. Through the second, what looks to be a hallway, more narrow than the first.
A third door sits towards the end of the long hall, firmly shut, though the door itself looks as though someone took a knife to it. The fourth door is missing it's handle entierly. At the very end of the hall is a plain door. The door frame and the floor just below look scorched and blackened. ]
oh man, i used to suck at those books
Once he was through, he looks at each of the doors, at each door, trying to decide where to go.The door that didn't seem to have a handle and the scorched one didn't seem like they'd give them much, so for now, at least, he ruled them out. Driven by morbid curiosity, he went to the third door, putting his hand on the handle tentatively. At least it wasn't silver.]
I wonder if it's locked... [He tries turning it and pushing the door. It's not locked but it doesn't open very easily either. Still, nothing a bit of werewolf strength doesn't fix, and soon the door's open enough for them to walk in.]
the good news is no one will end up dead in this one
Something happened here. [ Lara moves past Tyler, stepping carefully around the things on the floor. ] Based on the furniture and the layout of the house, I'd say. Early Victorian? It doesn't match with the time period of the lock by Earth standards.
[ She bends carefully lifting several papers off the ground. ] These look like diary pages.
woo \o/
He looks up as Lara mentions the diary pages.] Anything readable?
[And he does mean that in both the 'are they written in any Earth alphabet' and the 'are they intact enough to read?' sense.]
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I don't understand the dating system, but it looks like this belonged to someone either relatively young, probably unmarried? Or having an affair. Either way, rather illicit. They refer to someone as "N" that sounds like their lover. [ She shuffles through the papers carefully. ] Meeting in secret, exchanging tokens. Oh! [ She stops on one page, filled with small careful handwriting. ] They went to a performance of some kind. Native to this planet maybe, something about dancing.
[ While Lara talks, Tyler might notice a low, groaning sound, followed by the soft scritch scritch of tiny claws on wood. ]
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[And he begins pacing slowly again, trying to find where the sound comes from.]
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... What is it? [ she takes a careful step. The low rumbling groan grows louder.]
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Can't tell. Could be an animal, could be something else. [Like a person...] Might be a good idea to get out and close the door again.
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The shadows and darkness surrounding the room burst to life with writhing furry bodies, darting helter skelter over each other, the furniture and the two people standing in the room. Lara yells despite herself, taking a surprised step back as hundreds of small, dark bodies dart past her, small claws digging into clothes and scratching exposed skin.
The loud groaning is silenced by a loud CRACK as the floor below them splinters and buckles, throwing furniture and papers into the air in total upheaval. ]
RUN!
[ Sound advice, except Lara can't find her footing under the unending writhing mass of dark bodies (God, how many of them are there?!), so she reaches out, hands grabbing onto a mounted candlestick holder. It groans under her weight, bolts straining, but miraculously holds as the floor beneath her feet gives way. ]
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Shit!
[His cuts were healing almost as fast as the shadows could inflict them, which wasn't as comforting as one could think, but the most important thing in his mind right now is to get Lara out of there.]
Think you can jump?
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I think so.
[ It isn't going to be a good jump, but she didn't have much choice. Below is nothing but darkness. At least... whatever those things had been in the shadows seem to have finally gone, the last whisking out the door with a familiar skritch skritch.
Getting her feet up under, Lara pushes off from the wall. It's close, her heel strikes the edge of where Tyler's standing, immediately followed by a crack of wood. Lara steadies herself and holds her breath while the remainder of the floor seems to sway under them. ]
Right. Where's the door?
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Thankfully, the only thing he could see between them and the door was some thin, creaky, leftover floor. They'd just have to follow the wall and hope it held their weight.]
There. [He said, pointing at the door.] We should probably be quick crossing it.
[And he starts tentatively making his way there.]
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[ She follows behind him, stepping lightly. The floor is sturdy enough that they'll be able to make it to the door without further incident. Once through, though, Lara crouches on the solid floor of the hall, bracing herself on the door frame and leaning down, peering into the darkness. ]
That's not a normal basement.
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[Still, he does get closer to peek over her at the pit bellow. He can't make out a bottom, which... Makes him really glad that they got out of the room without falling.]
I wonder how deep that is...
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[ Lara reached out, carefully breaking off a chunk of the parlor's remaining floor. Hefting it slightly, she leaned back and threw it hard into the darkness. The soft sounds of it bouncing off a wall then, after a long pause, clattering softly at the bottom could be heard. ]
Definitely deeper than a normal basement, but there's a bottom too it. [ She looks down to her hands, covered in dirt and soot, then leans back, looking down the hall to the blackened door. ] There must have been a fire.. Maybe that door leads down.
[ Which of course means she's going to push herself up and immediately go to that door to try and open it. Pushing on the door doesn't make it budge, so she backs up a step and levers a solid kick into it. Wood splinters and the door creaks open. ]
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There's a short hallway, with two doors on its sides, but at the end there's an open door revealing a star down.] Guess that's where we're headed.
[And he takes point again, walking to the stair and putting his foot on the first step gingerly. It groans with his weight, but it does hold. He continues after a short sigh of relief.]
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Can you see anything down there? [ The staircase is long and narrow, with no railing on one side. All well and good until the wall falls away and there's nothing but darkness as far as Lara can see. A strong smell of burned wood and ash rises up to them. ]
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[They might as well just keep going at this point.]
8Db
[ The stairs hold, the smell of ash and old smoke grows. The room below is a scorched wreck, burned out shelving and chairs, only skeletons of what had been there before. In the corner of the too-deep-to-be-a-basement, is a crack of light, shining down from the broken floor. In the fall of the light is the withered, cracked remains of something that's definitely not furniture. ]
That's a body, isn't it.
[ Less of a question, as Lara is already stepping away from Tyler to slowly and carefully pick her way towards it. As one does. ]
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He picks his way to the body alongside her, squatting to get a better look when they're close enough.]
How long do you think it's been here?
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Less than a century, longer than a day? Dating bodies was never my specialty.
[ She crouches down by Tyler, fiddling with the MID, until she hesitates and looks at him.]
Are you all right? [ It occurs to her a bit distantly that this would be really unsettling. Really, she ought to be a little more startled herself, but after what she'd seen on Yamatai, this felt more like a normal dig than the discovery of a potentially gruesome murder.]
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