thisavrou_log | ( october event log pt. 2 )

Entry tags:

( october event log pt. 2 )

Who: Everyone
When: October 19th into the beginning of November.
Where: The Mini Colony of the Runoff & the Moira.
What: The Moira stops to resupply at the closest planet and things get weird.
Warnings: Physical transformations, phobias - please label if needed.

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Between the Perspectives
"but in your future, the you i see is exactly the person you always wanted to be."

Supplies have been loaded onto the ship, and the captains have encouraged all crew members to explore with the added notice that this will be the last planetary stop (hopefully) until the Moira reaches the Midway Hub. While seemingly uneventful on the Moira, the mini colony has been thrumming with adventure and has offered its visitors the opportunity to explore. To those who have indulged, some experienced great changes and others discovered enlightening information about the Ingress and the very ship some have called home for over a year.

Later in the month, the Lamaria hold the closing ceremony of the Desiderium Festival (which was noted on the prior event log) . The burgundy and lime colors of the celebration slowly fade into black and vermillion, and small fires are now in place for visitors to throw their written notes into. Everyone who participates will be blessed by one of the Lamaria (they will visit the ship as well), and the MID will be able to only translate bits and pieces of what this blessing means. "Experienced loss — every story is different — and saying goodbye — not to know — understanding lies in the mingling of holding on and letting go."

☄ TRANSFORMATION CENTRAL

For some, it might be due to a touch or a look. For others, it might not be any of those things at all, and something that just happens. Either way, shortly after the blessing occurs, you will find yourself changing. Your character’s body will slowly transform into the physical likeness of another being on the Mini Colony. The effects of this change may last as short as a day or as long as a week, but each come with their own stipulations—advantages and disadvantages. This is limited to one as the blessing itself only allows for “a little understanding”. Linked below are some of the possible transformations that your character can go through. Players can choose either one of the mod-supplied suggestions or choose the form of another already living on the Moira.

☄ THE FEAR MACHINE

Paranoia writes the checks, we're dangling here like a marionette. Here we go again, the world is coming to an end. Engage the fear machine and collect the dividends.

While the festival is beautiful, and some have found enlightenment and understanding here, there are those on the mini colony who don't enjoy the festivities. In a secluded room on the fifth floor in one of the buildings in the Science District, there is one such person who finds the religious festival to be a nuisance—one who should be stopped. Thinking that disrupting the blessings and celebration will somehow "get back" at the Lamaria for impeding their work (some of those who have transformed got into the building a few years ago and destroyed this person's property). Pettiness thrives, and they create something they dub The Fear Machine. Yet, while the science is sound, the technology itself is not.

In the middle of the mini colony, the machine is set off, and bolts of transparent energy erupt and spark out around it, stretching as far as the docked ships. Since the technology wasn't created properly to sustain the energy, it doesn't spread out evenly like they had hoped. Some are hit. Some are not. Those who are will develop a sudden and overwhelming phobia that will last well into the beginning of November. The machine might be turned off and left behind, but the obsessive fear has only just begun.

( ooc; For questions, go here. This log will run into the beginning of November; any threads here can be claimed for bonus activity the following activity check as well. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Upon first finding the observation deck and its spellbinding view of vast nothingness, Fenris has determined it is not his favorite place. As much as he has tried, however, he can't seem to escape it. Reminders of where they are - and all of that space surrounding this singular vessel - are everywhere.

He's found himself drawn back here. He wonders whether it's an attempt for his mind to understand. Unfortunately, it isn't getting any easier as he might have hoped.

Fenris has never seen the man seated on the bench before, so he appears ordinary and human enough. Perhaps he would have been more reluctant to approach if today were a normal day. As it is, speaking to unfamiliar individuals is a necessary evil in this foreign place.]

Are you looking at anything in particular?

[He looks up when he's addressed and offers a small, brief smile as he responds.]

Merely people-watching. It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to come out here.

[The man before him doesn't look familiar - which is significant to a person who remembers every face he sees, even in passing - so he goes out on a limb to hazard:]

Are you newly arrived?

[He surveys the area himself, eyeing the few others scattered across the deck with caution rather than real interest. He sees no one he recognizes.]

I am. Is that obvious?

[Although he isn't walking around with an announcement of his newness, perhaps his guarded nature gives him away.]

[He shakes his head at the other's question.]

Not at all. I just have a good memory for faces, and I haven't seen yours before.

[Which may be understating his ability a bit, but, well, that's just what he does.]

Would you like to join me? [He indicates the empty space on the bench beside him with a small gesture of his hand.]

[Not an answer he anticipated. Does this man know the face of every person on the Moira? Fenris regards him more closely.

He hesitates at the offer, but nothing has yet to make him suspicious enough to disengage from the conversation, so he sits. Facing the wide observation window is still somewhat uncomfortable.]

Is this familiar to you? Beyond the glass?

It is, yes. Oddly, however, you'll find that puts me in the minority, here.

[Thane, meanwhile, has missed the sight of the stars, having been cooped up in the medbay all month.]

It seems that at least half of the people who've been pulled here arrived with no knowledge whatsoever of space, and the other half is composed almost entirely of individuals who know of it, but have never traveled in it.

[He pauses, then glances back to the stranger with a soft smile.]

If nothing else, you might take comfort from the knowledge that you're at least in similar company.

[At least half? Perhaps there is some comfort in that, although Fenris is an individual-minded person and finds it difficult to relate to anyone. He's as unfamiliar with space as he is the rest of the technology on this ship.]

I imagine there are more differences between those who have never seen the stars than similarities.

[After all, how unique is Thedas? How unique is any one person's home? Fenris crosses one leg over the other, his arms folded. It's a defensive posture, although more of habit than intention.]

Where I am from, we have not yet traveled beyond the boundary of our own land. If there is anything across the sea, our personal conflicts distract us far too much to explore.

[He hasn't thought too much about this. He's not sure why he's considering it now. Fenris feels somewhat calmer now, somehow soothed in this quiet company.]

Or perhaps we are afraid of what we might find.

It's very likely. The universe is infinite, and every person in it unique.

[Not even getting into alternate realities; he's still not sure what to think of those, especially as they've produced quite a number of unique Commander Shepards for his consideration.

...Thankfully, he seems to have lucked out and been pulled to this place with his particular Commander.]

Hmm. Fear of the unknown seems to be a universal constant. [But of course, that's got him curious:] It must be quite a large conflict to totally prevent exploration.

[If he ever meets an alternative Hawke, he'll feel much the same.]

It would depend where you look. Thedas is divided into several independent countries which often disagree, unless there is a more worrying preoccupation. Particularly a Blight, when creatures called Darkspawn attack the surface.

[He has not witnessed it himself, so he should consider himself fortunate. But his own country had its own Qunari-shaped issues.]

I was recently informed of varying timelines as well. [As if this place couldn't get stranger.] Evidently the future holds yet another war, perhaps worse than anything the world has seen. In that case survival may be more important than exploration.

[He looks at the man, turning away from the observation window.]

But you say you have traveled the stars? How is that possible?

[Thane's heard of Thedas - read about, mostly, because Hawke never really seems too excited to talk about it, but she had given him a very interesting book written by her best friend and official biographer. He's not sure how much of the contents he believes, but it had nevertheless been a very entertaining read.]

Exploration does tend to be more fruitful when survival is not an issue.

[As one of the lucky handful of drell born on the hanar homeworld and not the drell one, that is one fact of life Thane is thoroughly aware of.]

Peace is preferable not only for exploration, but for the development of science and technology. One breakthrough leads to the next. Over the course of a few hundred years, humanity as I'm familiar with progressed from carts drawn by livestock to rockets capable of breaking free of the planet's atmosphere and traversing into space. Those early rockets were primitive, but provided the groundwork needed to build a ship such as this one.

[As long as Thane never makes the connection between Fenris and the 'Broody' written about in that book - which he is going to ignore exists - they should be fine.]

That is a future I can hardly imagine myself.

[If they focused their efforts on things such as science and technology, could it be possible? He can't know. His world is too busy tearing down the Fade and killing each other with magic.]

What of your own people? Will you return, if allowed? I am under the impression we must fulfill our contracts before we can leave this place, but I have doubts that will happen.

[Sorry, Fenris; once he knows your name he'll make the connection...but then he'll be polite and not comment on it.

...Well that sure is a tricky question. 8')]

If I'm still alive when the opportunity is presented, then yes, I will. I don't have much time left, either here or there, but I would prefer to cross the sea on the side of the universe where I lived my life.

'Cross the sea'?

[An interesting phrase, he's never heard of it.]

Your side of the universe must be quite a distance from here.

When the spirit departs from the body, it crosses the sea to the shore of the afterlife.

[Not surprising he's not heard of it; most people Thane knows from home haven't even heard of it.]

That is a conclusion I've come to myself. The population of humans here greatly outnumbers that of everyone else.

[He frowns, considering that information. It sounds spiritual to him if not religious. Familiar now with Andrastian religion, he wonders what might be said of a sea between reality and the afterlife. The concept is somewhat appealing, although he can't place why.]

Are you not human yourself?

[As an elf, he's used to the minority. It doesn't much faze him.]

Not normally, no. The Moira is currently in rendezvous with a small colony. Whatever celebration is happening there is somehow affecting the physiology of many of the residents here, myself included.

[Don't ask him how, though, because he has no idea.]

The more senior staff aboard expect it is a temporary thing. Apparently such occurrences as this are common enough to be unremarkable.

[And since currently Thane's breathing easier than he has in what seems like ages, he's definitely not complaining.]

[He observes him critically, as though expecting to see something unique in the man's appearance that would set him apart from other humans. There is nothing noteworthy to be seen, however. He looks ordinary enough.]

I have yet to experience these occurrences myself. Perhaps that is a blessing, for as long as it may last.

[One day his luck may run out.]

May I ask what has changed for you? How did you appear before?

[The only thing that's "off" about his human appearance is the color of his eyes, although to be fair, they're much smaller than normal - human-sized instead of drell-sized - and probably not readily apparent to someone who makes a habit of avoiding eye-contact anyway.]

My species are known as drell. We are...Well.

[They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, which can both save time on lengthy explanations and clarify better than words ever can, so: he activates the OMNI tool he still wears on his left arm and uses it to pull up a holo-photo. He doesn't have very many photos, and most of what he does have are very personal, but there is one that he doesn't mind sharing. The OMNI tool displays the holo as a roughly 5"x7" portrait above the back of Thane's hand.

The image is of himself and a human boy somewhere between the ages of seven and nine. His own face is fairly serene, as usual, though he's smiling softly. The boy, in contrast, is grinning a huge, delighted grin that lights up his whole face, despite several missing teeth.

There you go, Fenris; one photo of a drell, just for you.]

[And Fenris is notorious for his eye-contact avoidance, although he would be adamant in his denial of it being a remnant of his enslavement. Either way, it's not something he is aware of or concerned by. The same might go for the slight slouch of his posture and his skittish body language in general.

Blinking at the image projected behind the man's head, he studies what he sees. The technology is foreign - he is tempted to reach out a hand and pass his fingers through it, and he might if it wouldn't bring him into the personal space of his companion.

A 'drell'. It is difficult to conceptualize the human sitting beside him as the same man presented now. He recognizes the boy as human, but his gaze lingers on the other, taller individual. A flicker between both picture and person, and this time Fenris sees those eyes, so much darker around the edges of the iris. It's almost haunting to look to long, and he ducks his head soon after.]

I... see. [Well, as much as he's able.] This must be strange for you, then. You are in a body unfamiliar to you. You must wish to return to your normal self soon.

The entire situation is strange, but not unpleasant.

[He dismisses the photo with a flick of his hand, and deactivates his OMNI tool at the same time.]

Of all the different species found among the stars, drell and humans are not all that dissimilar. So far the trickiest part of navigating this situation has been placating friends who've mistaken me for a stranger taking advantage of their drell friend's illness.

[Thankfully those concerns had not been difficult to clear up. Knowledge that individuals had been experiencing sudden species changes across the ship, combined with the appearance of his eyes and the sound of his voice, have made correcting misunderstandings fairly simple affairs.]

With that said, however, you are right. I have no wish to linger in this form for longer than necessary.

[Fenris remembers the mention of not living much longer - so it must be associated with this illness. He does not pry. Personal matters are better left alone unless they must be discussed; he is a private person regardless, and has shared little with most he's so far met.]

That must be interesting, your friends seeing you as human instead of drell. I supposed I am fortunate I have not been affected. Although I doubt turning human would change much for my appearance, as it has yours.

[His ears might change, perhaps his lean stature would be broader, perhaps he'd be hairier. Not much else.

Quiet for a moment as he steeps in thought, watching their surroundings, Fenris relaxes. When he looks up, it's directly.]

I apologize, I... should have introduced myself. I'm not accustomed to so much unfamiliarity, though I suppose living years in the same city-state would make that understandable. My name is Fenris.

It has been quite educational.

[There's a hint of amusement in his voice as he pronounces that statement, as well as a definite smile on his lips. While the experience overall has been a very strange one, it hasn't been particularly unpleasant. He's even almost used to the hair.

He nods solemnly at the introduction, and returns it with another small smile.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Fenris. My name is Thane.

[And then a small pause, because the name, the mention of the city-state, and now the tattoos, are all coming together...]

Forgive me if this is an odd question, but you wouldn't happen to be acquainted with a woman named Hawke?

[You'll miss the hair once it's gone, Thane. (Or maybe not.) Introduction out of the way, he's not surprised to hear this person is familiar with him. Irritation isn't the exact word, but... Hawke is more talkative and social than anyone he's known, so it's as much as he should have expected.]

I am. We both come from the same place. I've known her for a number of years.

[Even if she's younger than him, evidently. The logic doesn't quite make sense to him.]

Are you another friend?

[He definitely won't miss it.

~~And wow, Fenris, what's with that face?~~]

"Another?" [He repeats with a small smile, gently amused.] I suppose so. She's been a good friend to me almost from the time I arrived here. Have you seen her here already?

[Listen, he's very familiar with Hawke's proclivity for collecting strange individuals and banding them together.]

Yes, though it took some time to find her. I wasn't aware she was here at first.

[He still felt guilty about it, for some reason.]

How long have you been on this ship?

( october event log pt. 2 )

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