(no subject)

[savmods]

Who: Everyone
When: July 1 and onward. See this post for info.
Where: Kauto + Chioni + Ingress Complex
Warnings: Potential violence. Please label warn-worthy content in your subject headers.

There's a burst of light in the sky when the Ingress breaks, a final flare followed by a shuddering that only those in the facility can feel. A flurry of panicked activity in the complex follows, ushering new arrivals to where they need to go in a hurry, with little time to give them the needed information, much less answer questions. The lights remain on, but dimmer now, life functions still operating but little else. On Kauto and Chioni below, the sky fades into an early twilight, followed by night, and day does not come again.

nerds save the world

Before the end of the day, all TABs receive an emergency broadcast notification outlining the situation. The speaker, a lead Savriite Ingress technician, does not invite panic but nor does he mince words. The Ingress is broken; their best efforts have failed to restore it. The time has come to turn to anyone who can help: scientists, engineers, those who have worked with advanced technology on any world. Formal qualifications don't matter when it could be the end of everything.

"Help us. Before it is too late."

Those who come will have the run of the complex and full access to the Ingress, as well as whatever tools are available and as much coffee as they can drink. People are encouraged to work in groups and share ideas, and a small number of young and nervous technical assistants will be on hand.

the land below

As Thisavrou is denied light and warmth, the weather becomes brisk and descends into bitter cold. Chioni is evacuated due to the effects on the already-harsh weather cycles there, although a skeleton crew of scientists remain behind. On Kauto, the arboreal Region Three and pastoral Region Two suffer the most from the temperatures and the snow that eventually begins to fall. Many crops are frozen over, and refugee citizens are driven from their homes to the Regions One and Five, where stored energy will keep dwellings warm. Save for those who choose to leave the underwater facilities, Region Four remains largely unchanged, but there are unverified accounts of strange aquatic animal behavior near the surface.

Overcrowding, limited supplies and a pervasive fear presents the opportunity for both heroism and foul deeds. Many come together to share resources, supplies and fellowship in what could be the end of worlds, while others take what they can from the unwilling or exploit the desperate. Sentient evacuees are followed by fauna from Region Three and unsettled lands beyond, in search of warmth or food or merely confused by the change in habitat. Some are unthreatening herbivores, while tanglesnakes and clownbees are more troublesome. Others are poisonous hunters, while still others are small, but dangerous when faced as a pack.

Just when all seems lost, light returns to the sky. The Ingress begins to function once more.

the coming days

As the temperatures rise, many demand answers, but most turn to the rebuilding of their lives first. Damage has been done that isn't so easily fixed, and even in the least-affected areas, remnants of the crisis show in the lack of fresh food, in the increased signs of criminal activity. Those who can help others through their own efforts of by organizing assistance are needed, but those with impure intentions are more likely to go unnoticed.

Eavesdropping on the streets may reveal a desire for vengeance. "Those intruders from last week. They're responsible for this, aren't they? What's being done?" But don't listen too closely, or a suspicious eye may be turned on you. "Aren't you one of the refugees from the Midway Hub? You should return to where you came from! All the trouble began when your people showed up!"

Life goes on. But life does not go on unchanged.

[quick ooc note: the Region 4 search & retrieval mission/RNG fight will be posted in a separate log.]

Comments

Calla | Original Character | OTA

[callamities]

i. you need a place to disappear (arrival, ingress complex)
[The trip through the portal is less dramatic than Calla expected. His vision goes fuzzy, there’s a gentle push against his back (less alarming than it might otherwise be since he’s still holding his backup in-hand), a sensation of warmth, and then a new world gently phases in around him.

No, it’s what comes afterwards that alarms him. He had meant to run as soon as his feet touched the ground, to escape, to ensure that nobody would grab him and shove him back to his own world. Instead, he makes it about one step before power-drain hits him like a truck. His eyes widen, and he manages a strangled, “Please, no—!” before he’s dragged into unconsciousness.

He isn’t expecting to wake up. He certainly isn’t expecting to wake up still in a foreign world. And he absolutely isn’t expected to be given a few belongings, a medical scan, and his own room with no questions asked.

Calla spends almost two days in his room. Fear that he’ll be found out and shoved back through the Ingress meets sheer relief at his world once again being bound by a few walls, meets existential dread at his first taste of being really, truly alone. He’s never in his life left the Gardens, much less found himself in an entirely new universe. The situation is so terrifyingly new that it’s almost paralyzing.

When he finally gathers the courage to venture out, it’s late at night when few people are still wandering around the Complex. Anyone still out might catch sight of what looks like a young man walking slowly around an apartment building, keeping one hand on the outer wall at all times. He looks human, but there’s one feature that perhaps suggests otherwise: glowing white markings wrought in the shapes of vines and flowers, curling around his left eye and over both of his hands. Not to mention he seems entirely unbothered by the cold despite the fact that a silk vest is the closest thing he has on to outerwear. It’s unclear what he’s doing circling the apartment, only that he seems on high-alert, moving slowly and looking up at every sound and sudden movement. Maybe you should go check on him?]

ii. that’s why you’re here, escapeless (ingress complex, the land below)
[It’s the same night. At least, Calla thinks it’s the same night. The sun has not come out since he first ventured out of his room, and if this night seems unusually long, he attributes it to the change in location. So many things are different here. Why not the length of nights?

The long night at least gives him time to familiarize himself with the neighborhood. Not many people are out in the cold and dark, whether they’re Creator or Created. Calla isn’t used to the emptiness. He was programmed to work surrounded by people and when they were gone, he always had his fellow Created around him. He expects if anybody sees him, they’d immediately be able to tell that he’s not where he belongs.

That’s how he’d gotten lost in the first place—ducking out of sight at the sound of approaching footsteps and stepping into an unfamiliar alley. And then another. A couple of wrong turns were all it took for him to become completely lost. He’s long since given up trying to retrace his steps, instead taking any turn that looks even the slightest bit familiar in the hopes that it will take him back where he started.

Anyone who happens to be exploring the same back-alleys will eventually hear something strange: an approaching fast-paced tick followed by an exasperated exclamation.]

Ugh, where am I?!

I.

[undyingbeliefs]

[Evangeline stands by the building in her full Templar armor. She's well aware she stands out, but that's supposed to be the point of it, however less so here. Besides, it provides enough warmth that small jaunts outside in the bitter cold aren't impossible. Still, she stands with her arms crossed looking out and observing at arguably nothing. Her thoughts her focal point.

It doesn't last. She sees the young man clutching at walls from the corner of her eye and it gives her pause. Evangeline is well aware she should mind her own business and for a while she does. She distracts herself or tries to, on anything else that might be moving about. It doesn't work. Her eyes continuously seem to wander back to the man. The clothes seem strange, even for what she perceives as locals, and just the same with the markings she can barely make out in the night. Tattoos? She's heard of pirates, dwarves, and assassins with such. But none seem to fit him.

It's not for suspicion. Perhaps more for concern, regardless her approach is slow and steady. She knows better than to cause alarm. Once her presence and approach are clearly known, she speaks. Her stance purposefully neutral.]

Is everything all right?

Kazuhira Miller | Metal Gear

[warandpeace]

Region 1 | in front pax hamburgana | ota.

[Last month Kaz thought that the poor weather would pass quickly, that the problem would be solved in a relatively swift fashion. While the bitchy basketball bot told them that there were severe issues, with the ego of the Savrii he thought they'd make a point of repairing the mistakes of others and rub it in their faces. That's not how it turned out to be. No surprise, but he'd still had high hopes.]

[Running a diner at the moment? Pretty useless. Having a stockpile of food that he sent people after last month? Also pretty useless. Being the sort of jerk that likes the challenge of accumulating money, giving away things for free has never been his strong suit. But, dying and watching people wither around him? That isn't either. He had enough of that as a kid.]

[So Miller is outside of Pax Hamburgana, handing off some rations out of his stockpile of food. Not enough energy for him to maintain a grill, so they receive small packages in paper bags frozen, each labeled in crude pen. They'll have to cook it themselves with whatever power they have left.]

[Not all the vegetables are making it (same as what's out in the farmland). The edamame is lasting, but everything else is starting to be damaged by the cold. A roaming herbivore wanders up near the table he's made into a vending stand searching for food, a refugee from the distant cold, and Kaz watches it sniff around tentatively. After a bit of thought (mostly on Venom Snake's behalf) he takes over some of the more damaged wares for it to eat. Of course, it's wary of getting too close to the curled dogs close to him. It takes some coaxing.]

[By the time that someone wanders by, he's exasperatedly handing out more of the reserves to strangers and friends while this strange deer-thing is curled up against two Huskies, trying to sap some of their warmth. Finally he calls on someone he knows.] Mind lending me a hand? I wanna go in at some point.


region 1 | streets | ota.

[Warmer temperatures are pretty good. But with warmer temperatures it seems that obnoxious bigots are sprouting out of the earth.]

[Kaz stops and squints behind his aviators at two people having some wonderful discussion about those people that caused the cold spell, and they all need to go. Kaz has always hated the feeling of being one of those people.]

[When they notice him and start insulting, he's already motioning between him and them.] Ever consider your damned Ingress might have been bringing us in? Sounds like it was in perfect working condition to me.

[The problem with Kaz having prosthetics is Kaz having a temper, also. And he might need someone to come along and discourage him from provoking a fight that he really wants to have. He'd rather have someone hold his figurative purse but he really needs someone to hold him back before he makes a terrible mistake that won't help anyone.]

{ streets }

[frostedplum]

Mei isn't having as hard a time as some others with the cold. She has her parka and is used to harsh environments. So she's doing what she can to help down on Kauto when she needs a break from staring at equations at the Ingress Complex. Usually it's running supplies to people, and right now she's finished her latest delivery, so she's on the lookout for someone she can help. Seeing Kazuhira getting into an altercation with a couple locals, she sees the opportunity to insert herself before they come to blows.

"Kaz!" she calls out, shortening his name for the first time in her rush to get to his side. If these people think they're going to be bullies, they're getting a piece of her mind.

Shiro | OTA ; one closed

[shiro2hero]

IN THE COLD
(a) (closed to Lion House; any day)
[First things first, check in on the team, get the house up and running. There's got to be Auxiliary Power here somewhere. Barring that, candles and alternative lights.]

Everyone okay?

[Expect him knocking on doors, checking in. Holding his hand aloft to light the way. As the week progresses, he'll keep up the check ins. Drag in supplies to get a fire going (Because of course this place has a fireplace), and thank Lavellan, mentally, this happened after their adventure to the woods.]

[Maybe at some point, if there's snow, you can manage to drag him outside for a fight. Or just shove snow right down his shirt, but. For the entirety oft he week, he'll be trying to keep everyone alive and warm.]


(b) (OTA ; around R5 and R1; any day)
[As it's gotten colder, he's taken to wearing his armor around the streets. It keeps out the absolute cold of Space, so why not the lowering temperatures. There are always people to help out. People to guide out of darkened places with the light of a glowing hand. People to offer up some fuel or firewood to.]

[For most of the week, while he isn't helping keep his house up and running, he's out here. Seeing what he can do. If there were leftovers the house couldn't eat, he'll give those out.]

[He'll also settle down next to someone chilled, offering up a cup of something close to soup --] Here. Wait just a second.

[His fingers glow, faint traces of purple along their tips, and abruptly, the cup is steaming. Like it's fresh off the stove.] Careful, it's really hot.


(c) (OTA ; wildcard!)
[Come with your own prompt! He'll generally be around, offering assistance, or a ride, if need be]


THE AFTERMATH ; OTA
[As temperatures warm up, he's still hitting the streets -- probably hasn't slept much since the crisis started, and it shows. Bags under his eyes beneath the helmet. Yeah, he's still armored.]

[Unfortunately, that marks him even more as one of the outsiders, one of the Moira refugees.]

[Which is double-sided. As it can be useful for proving their good intentions, or make him a target. But he's here. He's on the streets, helping to organize food distributions, or guide people to shelters...]

[Anything.]

[Except resting, really.]

B; R1

[deal_me_in]

[Things are a lot worse down here than he'd thought it would be. Hopefully whoever was picking at the Ingress would get something kicking together, and soon. Thus far he's heard no reports of progress from his Ghost, but he figures it's safe to assume it's still working as best it can with the others, and he knows if anything happened to his Ghost, he'd be the first to know.

The weather doesn't bother him, and certainly it hasn't gotten colder than other planets nor the moon- although for everyone else's sake, Cayde hopes that won't ever be the case. His eyes are most prominent in the dimness of whatever limited lighting the streets may have. There's little he has to offer anyone he finds out here, so he's taken to chasing off any scavenging creatures that seem to be lurking a little too closely to those who have come to this region for shelter and sustenance.]

Hey there, Space Man.

[Probably a funny thing to be coming from a robot, but Cayde calls it as he sees it. He gestures loosely towards Shiro, having seen him warm up that cup.]

Nice trick there.

VETRA NYX | ota

[nyx_it]

( SHIT IT'S COLD ; weeklong )
[If she ever finds out who in the hell screwed up the weather, she's going to wring their collective neck. Because of all things. Cold. It's cold. And it's eating into her carapace and right through her scales. As much as she pulls the scarf up around her neck, it's draining.]

[The tiny apartment she's shelled out for isn't fairing much better. She's managed to hotwire some batteries into a "space heater" she'd picked up on that version of Earth. But it can't run constantly.]

[Catch her out joining others on the streets looking for an alternative. Or enterprising a solution -- trading bedding she can't do much with (thanks turian body structure) -- for almost dead batteries.]

Turians and cold? Yeah, we don't get along. Point me at somewhere to get out of this shit, and there's something in it for you.


( THE AFTERMATH ; any day )
["Aren't you one of the refugees from the Midway Hub?"]

[Here's where she holds up her hands. On her way somewhere, probably to her next deal agreement. Maybe you're with her. But she's going to stop, cant her head innocently to one side.]

Midway hub? Never heard of it. Swear on my scales. [But that doesn't mean she's not interested.] What kind of trouble are they causing?

SHIT. IT'S COLD.

[gh0stamidstthec0mbat]

[Vetra's not the only one out trading bedding away, but the sort of things this guy's asking for in return are a little more on the probably not safe side than a few dead batteries. It's amazing the sort of things that turn up when people start getting desperate.]

Have you tried fire? / Primitive, but effective. / Just need stuff to burn.

[Like really who would complain if someone just decided to set something on fire in the middle of the street when it's this goddamn cold out.]

Sideswipe | OTA

[redshitlord]

( THE BIG CHILL ; any day )
Dude! Hop in!

[So says the sentient car pulling up to the curb next to you. And popping a door open. There's apparently no one in the driver's seat. But the heat is blasting inside. It's like a little oven in there.]

You look like you're gonna freeze out there, man.


( A ROBOT POPSICLE ; any day )
[Because Sideswipe, being a robot, hasn't felt the cold as sharply as organic life does. But after being out there long enough, he'll eventually head back to Normandy HQ. To sulk and refuel. And go back out into the cold again.]

[And again.]

[He thinks he's on a one-bot mission. After feeling like he's let both Shepard and Lavellan down.]

gets into strangers car even with no candy

[seity]

[Cars are very new. Cars that talk and invite him inside are even newer. Still, he gets inside, because the freeze settling in has been reminding him of the dungeon he once died in. Or human him died in, anyway.

Despite how discomfiting the color and the shine and the metal is, he relaxes into the seat. It is very warm, and very plush, and he is very tired.

Since there is nobody in with him, he just kind of speaks out loud into the air, hoping that what invited him in can hear him. There's no music, not even a whistle, and so he assumes that whatever it is, it's not alive.]

What are you?

Asriel Dreemurr | ota

[pleasereset]

[Region 5, grocery store]

[The benefit of having fur and fire magic was that even in cold temperatures, Asriel could stay a little warmer than the rest of the residents on Thisavrou. Still, due to the cold temperatures and hostile attitudes of the people around them, Asriel only ventured out when needed to (and even then, he was advised to just stay home).

Of course, hot chocolate wasn't an emergency. But it was for three children who had been living off of the stuff ever since the temperature plummeted, and their supply was getting low. But the shelves of the grocery store was getting bare due to people moving in from other regions.

Asriel's found one last box of hot chocolate, and as he reaches for it... he feels himself roughly shoved out of the way by a much larger, more intimidating alien creature. They look down on him and glare.

"Outta the way kid, I was here first. Why don't you go back to your mommy and daddy?"

They rummage through what's left of the canned goods, taking what's left. Thankfully the box of hot chocolate remains when they shuffle off. Asriel rubs his shoulder, looking annoyed.]

You don't have to be so rude about it...

[mttbrandlegs]

[Mettaton doesn't feel as if he's completely worked out his own body issues, and so here he is, perched like a sad, one-eyed gelatin on top of Asriel's head, the only things keeping him afloat his magic and the ability to float just shy of falling through the young boss monster's fringe.

He's angry at the local who pushed Asriel, and he wants to attack. Wants to FIGHT, just use his magic to rend them apart--

But he doesn't. He can't. Not like this. And it's better that way. Instead of reacting explosively, he floats slightly forward, glancing at Asriel upside-down.]

It's not worth it, honey. You've gotten what you wanted, right?

[An uneasy smile.]

Let's...go back. Back home. They're ah. They're being foolish because things have been disrupted.

[How much could they really hold it against them?]

Cayde-6 | OTA

[deal_me_in]

Ingress Complex
     After hearing about the altercation that occurred with the Ingress, it had made Cayde seriously question whether it was truly a good idea to get a permanent place on the Complex. Kauto had started to look pretty good right around then, especially considering that something could possibly happen out here in space and his newly acquired stuff (which honestly wasn't all that much) would be gone.

     And then the planets went wonky what with the Ingress shutting down, so he figured he wasn't all that bad off being where he was after all.

     Of course, that still left the concerns of getting the Ingress operational again. The Exo honestly wouldn't have bothered since he figured there were sciency, techy people for that sort of thing. But then there came the message, and it wasn't the first time he effected a sigh. "Well. May as well see what all's going on," he'd told his Ghost and ever present companion.

     So is what finds them there at the Ingress, the Guardian with his arms folded as he looks at the thing, his Ghost hovering beside him at just about eye-level, studying it from afar with the same thoughtfulness. ...at least until Cayde shakes his head. "Well, I got nothing." At the Ghost's look, he arches a brow-plate. "What? You're more the expert in this sort of thing. Given even their people are having a time with it, I think you should see if you can help them out."

     "Considering the circumstances, I think that goes without saying," the Ghost points out. "And they did request assistance."

     Cayde nods. "All right then. You do your thing, and we'll see what all else anyone else might come up with." He glances about, calling after the first person he sees. "Hey- know if this mess has any schematics or something?"

     "If not, perhaps I can provide one while I do some scans," the Ghost suggests, floating over to get to work.



Below; Kauto - Region 1
     The change had been somewhat drastic, but considering that Cayde hadn't spent all that much time about Kauto in the previous month since his arrival, that hadn't helped for what he'd figured to be the default for the planet, or at least that sector. And perhaps it would have held to, had not the Ingress collapsed. The situation looked more than grim, and the Exo as he walked through the streets could only be reminded of how things used to be in the City at some point, back home on the Earth he knew.

     It's kind of ironic, he thought, since the main reason he'd not wanted to stay on Kauto was so he wouldn't get used to it. But if the Ingress can't get back up and running again, he may very well not have that choice.

     He walks along, minding his own business for the most part, and perhaps just a little anxious, having left his Ghost up at the Ingress Complex to help out with the repairs. He's a little more concerned about the Ghost being all right than his own well-being- after all, Cayde's the one with the weapons. ....which come in handy when you come upon ravenous reptiles that try picking on some hapless refugees.

Ingress

[themiracle]

Quorra had been quick to answer the call for help from the technicians, even if her capabilities lay more on the coding and software side of things than with any sort of engineering or mechanical fixes. The system needs to get back up and running as soon as possible, and so she'll help in any way she can.

At Cayde's question, the ISO glances up from the workstation that she's attempting to debug, then shakes her head. "I haven't heard about any. That might be super useful to get our hands on, if they exist." Her gaze lands on the Ghost, then, and curiosity springs into her face. Was that a bit? "Who's your friend there?"

venom snake | ota

[alterplex]

THE LAND BELOW : NOT QUITE YOUR LAND DOWN UNDER.

[ Solidarity is a fragile concept. If there's one thing that Venom knows about people, it's that they're changeable, that morale is an ever-shifting concept that fluctuates depending on the most mundane factors: some people can turn on you just by virtue of not having had a satisfactory shit that morning.

So. Take that already-erratic concept and crank it up about 500%, and that's the current situation. Lack of food, lack of warmth, lack of energy— uncertainties pile on top of uncertainties, and the easiest scapegoats for negative vibes turn out to be the hapless refugees just looking for another tanglesnake to capture and sink their teeth into.

Except... well. Unfortunately for the native who approaches Venom tonight, the old soldier isn't exactly the best candidate for a hit-and-run. He's got headphones in his ears, yes, listening to something from what looks to be an ancient, battered cassette player; easy prey, presumably, if not for the fact that he responds to the grab to his shoulder and a reacharound for his supply bag with a sharp pivot on booted feet, followed by a relentless upwards elbow and a knee to his assailant's stomach.

The hostile sinks, passed out facefirst into the snow. One headphone falls out of Venom's ear, and an upbeat 80s tune filters from the plastic.

He frowns. Breathes softly, scrubbing once, twice across a bearded jaw before turning to whoever he's caught watching that particular display. ]

...Probably should move him. [ CLEARLY HE'S DONE SHIT LIKE THIS BEFORE... good job, Venom. ]


THE COMING DAYS: WALK OUT TO WINTER.

[ Civil unrest hangs thick in the air; turn a nose to the wind, and it smells like spoiled food and burnt-out electrical wires.

So here's Venom, striding towards the nearest individual he spies being scrutinized by a group of planetside inhabitants. He offers his presence with stolid placidity, offering a blood-red bionic to a shoulder or to hold whatever his new conversation partner has their hands full with. ]

Not a good idea to be walking alone. [ He ventures. ] Time to get going.


WILDCARD.

[ want to do something else? got something you want to do in mind? hit me up here, or via PM— we can work smth out. ♥ ]

the land below!

[switchcircuit]

[She didn't show up at the Ingress in winter clothes by any means, though at least she has that black coat on which is obviously many sizes too big for her. Red has been careful not to spend what little money she has on something as frivolous as clothing, even if she had always loved shopping and wearing nice things, she was more practical than some might believe.

But she couldn't go without food. This is why she's out, despite the cold and the hostility, and her ridiculous concert outfit she's still in. The large man she avoids but it's not her that he's concerned with. Red's eyes go round as data discs as the Savrii is handily put into pile of mush in the snow. The catchy, though odd to her ears, music catches her attention next and she's still staring in disbelief at the downed native when she hears the large man speak.

Her brows furrow slightly and despite the seriousness of the situation, she can't help the awkward laugh which bubbles up out of her. Red covers her mouth with an apologetic expression, before she looks around and comes closer.]

Over there.

[Red motions to the nearby corridor between buildings where it's covered from the elements mostly, and the poor little byte won't be in danger of getting run over.]

Red || Transistor || OTA! :)

[switchcircuit]

//the coming days

[This isn't the kind of hostility she's experienced before. She's been called a provocateur, a rebel, even a political mutineer. If her Crash() Function isn't evidence enough of this trait of her personality she doesn't know what else could be. She doesn't purposely set out to cause waves; truly, she doesn't. Yet she seems a real natural at it!

Red understands at least that these hostile whispers are not directed at her personally even if it's hard not to take them that way. She does her best to ignore them as she continues on her walk through Region 1. Hopefully soon she can return to her tiny treehouse in Region 3, but until then she's stuck here. It's getting warmer, she tells herself, and that's something.

It's not until some of the Savrii directly block her path and begin their insinuations that she can no longer choose to ignore it. Red narrows her eyes and her small fists clench at her sides.]

I'll ask you nicely once to let me be.

[What she was going to do if they made her ask twice, she hadn't much of a plan. Wouldn't her Transistor have something snarky to say if he were here?]

//wildcard!

[throw anything at me :D]

[camouflage]

[nothing like being through the ingress for barely a hot second before the locals started turning on you. big boss was a man that was intimately acquainted with the feeling of sometimes being looked at like a dangerous animal, but here, it seemed to quickly be on the upswing. the worst part was it wasn't just him, all savrii seemed to be making it a daily habit to pick at one of the people beyond the ingress.

john knew that, if it was only one local, they would only hurl words. for experience with people in general, though, he also knew that the more of them crowded around each other, spouting the same hateful thing, would inevitably give them enough courage to throw more than words.

and wouldn't you know it, he spots that exact thing happening right in front of him. generally, he tried to stay out of other people's scuffles. too much hassle. but there was only one of her and quite a few more of them. so he steps in.

and just knocks one of the instigators flat.]

diana prince | dceu | ota | probable ww spoilers!!

[monomachy]

arrival; ingress complex

The dock had faded away as her vision narrowed, and Diana hadn't had time to react before the ringing had deafened her and the light had blinded her. Before the light consumes her and she loses consciousness, she wonders if she had somehow failed, if Ares had found and smote her where she stood. Improbable as it may be, it's the only explanation she can grasp for the way she feels now: painless, but being inexplicably pushed and pulled at the same time.

Then she wakes, and the London docks are gone, replaced with a room that could only be described as sterile. A woman comes to her side immediately, gives a rushed explanation or what's happened and where she is. The room is cold and dimly lit. Diana only half-listens, her mind clouded and unable to process what's happening as quickly as it should. She can't get a word in edgewise, the technician is speaking too quickly. Items are handed to her, her shield among them, and she is rushed towards a door amid a slew of apologies. There is a shuttle to take you to safety, she's told. Things will be alright.

She wants to ask what things, but before she knows it, she's left to her own devices and what is apparently another planet. As she wanders, she cannot help but wish that Steve, or any of their little band of misfits, were here. Surely they would have knowledge of this kind of situation. Antiope's training had never prepared the Amazon warriors for a situation like this. Still, Diana is quick on her feet and knows she must concoct a plan if she means to make it back to her home--whether that be the world of man or Themyscira, she hasn't yet decided. With a burst of confidence, she hefts her shield on one arm and makes it a priority to find a sword for the other.

kauto; r5

In the days since her arrival, Diana has slowly begun to explore the fifth region of Kauto. This is all still so surreal; if she'd thought the technology in the world of man had been marvelous, the technology on this world was unimaginable. Everywhere she turned, there was something new to behold. Even with a cloud of melancholy hanging over her head, she cannot help but be fascinated by this new world. There are all sorts of people and foods, and every corner turned reveals a new wonder. Diana smiles at each, her breath visible in little puffs in front of her as she laughs.

But each wonder seems to be met with an antithesis: people arguing over food, breaking windows to steal, fights breaking out. Diana cannot stand by idly and watch, so she inserts herself into these petty fights, pulling people apart with her bare hands and trying to reason with them. There is no need, she tells them. She will help if she can. She still carries her small bag of clothing with her and keeps her shield on her back, ready for use but hopefully not necessary.

wildcard

[hit me up for anything!! diana will be all over the place, doing some lowkey heroing and highkey exploring. my plurk is watchet!]

kauto 5

[shiro2hero]

"Easy! Break it up!"

He hadn't come out here to play bouncer. There was extra food back at the house, like always. But now, with power running low, there wasn't much in the way of storage -- short of shoving it into the outdoors. He'd brought it out to the other residents. Only to see some of them start shoving, shouting, and throwing punches.

Why does this feel like he's done this before?

Regardless, he's waded in as well, pulling someone off the guy the woman is holding. He's armored, as he has been the whole time he's been out here, which is good, since the guy is struggling and swearing.

"Calm down! Tell us what's going on, we'll work it out."

Sorry Diana, he just included you in the bouncer squad.

Liquid Snake | ota

[saveyourserpent]

[A. SOMETHING CREATIVE ABOUT SNOW]

Liquid is not a scientist, or a technician, or anyone that's going to be much assistance with the Ingress issues unless they need someone to give their equipment a good kick. But that's okay. Snow? No big deal. Liquid's used to it. After all, this is a guy who went shirtless in Alaska in winter. And it doesn't really bother his dog so much either, what with being a husky and all. So while most people have moved on from region three to, well, greener pastures, he's sticking around.

So he's out taking his dog for a walk, and the native creatures are trying to get the hell out of the cold, and it looks like the dog's got his sights set on a particularly small something.

Anyone else willing to brave the cold might find Liquid running after a dog chasing a small squirrelish creature. Follow them!

[B. FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT]

But Liquid can't just play around in the snow all day. Obviously. He has to get out of the tree house to do, you know, everyday things.

He's not expecting to be stopped on the street while he's headed somewhere, though, and when the reason why's revealed, his hands tighten into fists as he steps forward, clearly trying to intimidate the person who shouted at him.

"Got a problem with it?"

Someone should maybe stop him from punching someone out. He's a little restless.

[C. WILDCARD]

[and, of course, the wildcard. liquid's probably gonna be nosy no matter what so just run into him anywhere, or plot with me here or at agentkaz]

let's not fight, fight, fight

[alterplex]

Ah. This is patently familiar to Venom, even if the Eli he's approaching is decades older and slightly mellowed over the months of cohabitation. The operative word there is 'slightly'.

When he spots the familiar figure with his hands balled into fists, Venom takes the liberty of bridging the distance between them and raising his artificial hand to shoulder-level. A silent command to stand down, even if he knows that it's unsolicited.

"Acting violent won't help our case."

What a spoilsport, huh.

Natasha Stark | OTA

[modelsixtythree]

Ingress Complex; Repairs

[The call comes for engineers, and Natasha goes. After all the confusion and uncertainty around the biological contamination and...whatever it had produced, it's almost a relief to be able to work on something tangible. Not to say it isn't stressful, considering how much is riding on it, but it's the kind of stress Natasha understands.]

i. the work is all

[It doesn't take her long to settle into a routine. She can usually be found sitting on the floor near the Ingress with her armor standing nearby, mostly being used for extra light like the world's gaudiest floor lamp. There are a collection of tools scattered around her feet, along with a frankensteined monstrosity of a laptop she apparently threw together.

More often than not, she's half buried inside an opened panel in the wall or leaned back against it, frowning at nothing as the computer next to her flashes quickly through lines of code without Natasha ever touching it. Either way, she doesn't seem to be paying much attention to anything around her.

Which doesn't stop her from calling a quick --] careful [-- when it looks like someone is about to trip over one of her screwdrivers.]

ii. but caffeination helps

[Extremis hasn't entirely erased the needs to eat or sleep, but it does make them easier to ignore. Since she's not likely to be doing either of them any time soon regardless, Natasha does go off in search of the promised coffee every so often. It's pretty clear that while she's physically stepped away from the project, through, her brain has been left behind to keep working.

It's likely why she keeps getting turned around without noticing. After the third time of ending up on what she;s pretty sure is the exact same hallway, she turns to give the nearest passerby a dry look.] There is actually coffee around here somewhere, right? They didn't just lure us here under false pretenses?

iii. wildcard

[Natasha's pretty much going to be living in the Complex until the Ingress is fixed, so want to do something else? Feel free to shoot me a PM or poke me at talkincodes.]

caffeination

[sketchycharacter]

[Having dropped out of formal schooling at age 12, Nate is absolutely not assisting with the actual repairs. But he is carrying a portable coffee carafe, so that might even better.]

So I've been told. But I brought some just in case. [He holds it up and offers it to her.] Made it for some friends, since they like their caffeine at level hardcore, but I figure you could all use some.

Marian Hawke | Dragon Age | OTA

[otiosity]

Ingress Complex

[Hawke isn't a nerd. She's definitely a cool kid. Or at least would be if she had any idea what a nerd was and the high school hierarchy it references.

But she's friends with a lot of nerds so she sometimes spends time in the Ingress complex "helping" out her friends. She's comically bundled up in a sweatshirt that's clearly too big for her, under a coat that's definitely twice her size, and a big red scarf. She keeps sniffling and grumbling in the cold and getting in fights with the coffee machine. There's definitely more than a few burnt pots and maybe a few fires before she finally manages to best the machine.

So eventually there's a red nosed mage going over and trying to shove a mug of coffee in your hand. Considering her fights with the machine it might be a little dubious but... it smells normal anyway.]

Here. I slaved over this cup of... hot water and black stuff. So take it.

[The land below.]

[Hawke may be useless at technology but killing and helping people?

THAT SHIT IS HER JAM.

Still bundled up and now with a rather large hat to go with the rest of the ensemble, she starts off by helping people get from other regions into Region 1. She holds a ball of light in her hand and raises it high above her head and urges people to follow her. Or otherwise using her magic to light up big fires for people to gather around as they wait for shelter and food. She seems more in her element here and eager to get out and do shit.

Even though she's perhaps not the most comforting by saying things like-]

Well. The fires should last at least a few hours. Shouldn't freeze to death that soon.]

[And most exciting (to her anyway), she defends people about the creatures lurking out of the dark edges of the city. She summons massive lightning bolts from the sky to kill and scare off anything that comes out to try and eat little Savrii children. When she manages to zap one of the more vicious creatures, she walks over to it, putting her staff on her back and wiping her nose, and drops down to observe it.]

We probably can't eat this, can we? That would make things too easy. And since when do things happen that make things easier for us.

[The Coming Days.]

[The Ingress is back. And that makes Hawke feel slightly less guilty about Lavellan and being some of the cause of the whole debacle. She knows it's not her fault and that she actually mitigated the damage but being involved in problems like she always does had weighed on her.

She's feeling better until she's walking down the street, blowing her nose that's still recovering from the freezing temperatures, when a burly local stands in her way.

Aren't you a refugee from the Midway Hub? You should return to where you came from. And you've clearly got some kind of disease that you're spreading. Then gives her a rough shove.

Hawke blinks and rubs at her arm.]

Yes, very diseased, very deadly. Blood from your eyes, your bowels disintegrating, all of that. I also just sneezed on that shoulder. You're going to die now, I'm afraid!

[She calls after him before shrugging.]

I do love being a refugee again. I've missed being the cause of everyone's problem!

[Wildcard]

[Hit me up for anything. If you wanna plot something my plurk is mythal!]

heyyyyy buddy (the coming days)

[seity]

[The Ingress was fixed, and he knew people would be ok somewhere in the back of his mind, but that was taken over by the big nasty sharp tooth tangle of guilt that refused to let his thoughts go to anything else. It had made him wander, aimless, because if he stayed still too long it seemed to get louder.

Neriel's secret had been dangerous, and Cole had held it very carefully in his hands, but instead of being quiet it had mangled all of his fingers. If he had told Solas, if he had told anyone... he remembers when he found the threads of Shepard's thoughts. The hurt. And now Neriel was there too.

He is crouched on a ledge above the streets when he hears Hawke's voice. He isn't going to speak to her at first, mostly because his thoughts don't want to let him, but even if he doesn't know her very well he associates her with things like good and warm. Even more important now in the cold.

Rather than apparate exactly next to her, he appears a few feet in front of her, still dressed in worn leather and filthy wraps despite the weather.

He just says:]

Hawke

[because that's just about as much as he's got.]

Michiko Malandro | Michiko to Hatchin | OTA

[sugaroutlaw]

I - Ingress: please wear your helmet

[A monstrous rumbling sound of an engine ringing out through the air of the Ingress hall. Sound only gets louder then there's the familiar quick flash of light as the new arrival travels through the Ingress. Except that this time the first thing that comes visible is a big wheel followed right by bright colored scooter. The vehicle slams down hard on the ground, carrying a woman with a long dark hair. There's a hot second while the woman and scooter stays still but then the motor growls again, pipe burping out a black cloud and the start whir as the gas is pressed down, and just like that, the woman along is gone from the sight.

The woman drives the scooter through the hallways without bothering to slow down]

Out of the way! [That shout is the only warning that people who either are opening doors or walking before her. The corridors keep getting narrower after each but that's not stopping her. But then someone appears in front of her on a small corridor and there's no space for her to turn around anymore.] Shit! [She curses out loud and leans back, quickly hitting the brakes while steering towards the wall. Just barely she manages to avoid running over the person by crashing the scooter in the wall with a loud bang. The whiplash makes the woman bounce on driver's seat, almost throwing her off.

Angrily she kick's the scooter's leg down and lets her vehicle lean on it as she turns to glare at the person she almost crashed through her dark sunglasses.]

Hey you! [She shouts. So much for checking whether the other one is ok.] Just look where you're going!

[So friendly.]

II - R1: Just a little noise

[Being from country that has never seen snow the current temperature of Thisavrou is s a quite challenge to Michiko, who's wearing only mini shorts, dark bralette bra and high heeled sandals. She's literally clattering her teeth together and shaking from the cold despite the warm motor engine under her as she drives around the region. How did she even get that scooter down to the planet from Ingress Complex? With skills.

It's late, or at least that's what she thinks, when she stops at a smaller street and spots the vending machine with a big bright sign that says "HOT DRINKS." Without a second thought she hops off her scooter and hurries over the machine. She quickly scans it over to find the hole where to put her coins in but is taken a back when her eyes find small print that says "insert sencs here."]

What is this? [She mumbles and digs up an arca out of her pocket, trying to push it inside the slot. Her irritation grows when it turns out that the coin doesn't fit.] Hey. [She says, slamming the machine on the side while trying to force her money in.] Hey, hey! [She raises her voice and continues to hit the machine. All of the sudden, the lonely and forgotten vending machine on the silent dark street manages to become the physical manifestation of everything that's wrong with this planet and whole situation. As if it was its fault that she was robbed away into this world away from her own, just as she was about to find Hiroshi and her happiness. That it was cold as balls in this place. And that she was all alone without Hatchin or money. ]

Fuck this! [She shouts and starts hitting and beating the vending machine.]

To hell with this all! [It only takes few punches from her before there's a crack in the glass and that's when she steps away from it, walking to other side of the street and speeds up to gain more power to her kick. Her attack lands on the vending machine's side, making it fall on the ground and break the protective glass. Screaming and shouting she climbs on top of the fallen thing and starts stomping on it, even though the canned drinks are already falling off the broken glass.]

II - R1: A little more noise

[It's only been little over a day since Michiko's arrival and she's already gotten somewhat used to her new surroundings. She's learned how to map most of the region one, figuring out how streets and roads work and where shops and stores are located to.

In fact, her loyal scooter can currently be found at in front of one of the expensive clothing stores that's known for colorful and intense prints and unsymmetrical, bizarre designs. But something's quite off. The place seems a little too quiet, despite the current crisis. One would think that this hectic and scary situation would make people do panic influenced shopping and store as much warm clothing as possible. Yet there doesn't seem to be anyone around.

If someone walks inside the empty store and venture further they will find the store clerk lying on the floor and tied up with a duct tape. They seem to be unharmed, despite being unconscious. A little further away there's Michiko, this time wearing something more suitable for the weather, looming over a cash register and stuffing her pockets with sencs.

Seems like you've walked in middle of a robbery.]

2

[brokeassgoing]

[Why does this keep happening to him Why does he keep running into weird situations when the world's going to hell. Why do weird things keep just happening? At least there are no tentacles, but still.]

Oi, how bout this one? It's taken money from me every damn week...and there's more'n shitty stale peanuts inside.

[he kindly indicates another vending machine]

chara | ota | will match formats

[inconsequence]

region five; the land below

[Allow Chara to submit the following for your consideration:

Lavellan is thrice-damned idiot who cannot accept a warning when it is staring him in the face with a pair of creepy red eyes and a vindictive smile. While they may have contributed to the flooding of Thisavrou with thick, cloying fog in the month prior, they can at least state that they did not do something so unbearably stupid as to hijack the Ingress so incompetently that it all broke, possibly irreparably.

There are all manner of things crawling about in the cold. Chara may not be one of those technologically inclined enough to be of assistance, but they can at the very least ensure such fauna do not get a firmer foothold in a foreign environment. The constant movement to warm the adrenaline in their blood is not an adequate substitute for coats or protection from the cold, but since when has self-preservation been a priority of Chara's?

A Knife jabs in and then out from a lizardlike creature's neck, and it keels. A trio of raptor-like animals circle the child with the sharp, hissing snaps of narrow jaws. They watch, and they wait for one of them to sidle closer - close enough for the reach of the Knife to carve them across the throat.

At least they're putting their anger to good use.]

the coming days; region five

A child kneels in the dirt outside their home, breaking up the frost-dried soil with their fingertips. The flowers they planted would not have survived the cold, nor would they have been foolish enough to assume as such. They've some spare seeds, but the quality of the soil isn't conducive to immediate re-planting.

Their expression is flat. One might be incapable of guessing the tenor of their thoughts.

"Where's your mother?"

Chara's head snaps up, then, gaze trained unerringly on the citizen bold enough to impose.

"Not here," says Chara, helpfully. They smile.

"Then where?" Undeterred, the native continues, spindly arms folded to her chest. "I remember you. You were one of them that took over the Ingress. No better than those that broke it!"

Chara tilts their head to one side, inclining their chin faintly.

"That's correct."

Her shoulders creep up in swelling outrage as she sputters.

"You have a lot of nerve, continuing to live here!"

"Perhaps I do." Their composure does not waver, even as the creature looks about ready to burst with rage.

"Why haven't the intermediaries dealt with you?" she snaps. "Why do you get to walk away unscathed? Your people have been nothing but trouble since the beginning!"

wildcard; whatever you want my dudes

[if u want a closed starter feel free to smack me over at arrpee]

the coming days

[gainedlove]

"Leave them alone!!"

Frisk had been just inside, working on cleaning the living room and building up the Fort Of Warmth that they and Asriel had started on the couch, piling as many blankets and pillows on it as they could manage. They'd left the door cracked open--not the wisest thing, but it made it easier to hear Chara outside in case they called.

(Not that they often did, but...just in case.)

The unfamiliar voice caught their attention, and hearing the vitriol spewed at their sibling Frisk is glad they'd come to investigate. With the door now flung wide open, Frisk glares daggers at the spindly alien with fists tightly clenched, their small voice unusually loud with anger.

"We're not doing anything t' anyone here, we never tried t' hurt any of you! Jus'--go away!!"

solid snake | ota

[soldiergenes]

the land below (region 1)

[ As someone who spent a good chunk of his life living in the middle of nowhere in Alaska, Snake's a little more prepared to handle the cold snap than some of the other residents. He's been staying indoors as much as possible, taking any steps he can to insulate his house against the frigid temperatures. With the influx of people from the less protected regions, supplies have been low, and he eventually has to venture out in search of more food and water. And also to keep an eye out for any desperate looters.

Bundled up in as many layers of clothing that he could manage without limiting his range of movement too much, Snake's in the commercial district on the lookout for anywhere that's still selling food. As he moves down a side alley, though, he pauses when he ends up face-to-face with a giant reptile.

It looks like a komodo dragon, but larger, and it doesn't seem that happy to see him. It probably isn't taking to the cold weather well, and must have traveled into the city in search of warmth.

When he senses someone else in the alley with him, he makes an urgent gesture without actually looking over his shoulder at them. He's keeping all of his attention on the creature, trying to figure out if it's going to attack or not. ]

Go back the way you came. [ He can handle this. Probably. ]

the coming days (region 1)

[ It's been a wake-up call to realize that all that it takes to put them into a dangerous situation is for a piece of technology to go down. This planet is reliant on the Ingress, and sure, it may have been fixed, but their existence here feels more much tentative in the aftermath.

The streets are mainly still quiet, even with the temperature slowly warming, and Snake finds it all to be a little on the eerie side. He's out with Jaegar, realizing that his dog's been cooped up for way too long and deserves a chance to stretch his legs. The husky's enjoying the weather now, cold but not to a degree that it's uncomfortable, perfect for this breed.

Well, at least someone's happy. Snake's on the grumpy side; he's been rationing food and the lack of a full stomach for days has left him tired and cranky.

So when he listens in on a conversation only to have one of the natives turn an accusing tone on him, Snake doesn't hold back in his response. ]

You think it's that easy to just go back where we came from? [ He advances on the Savrii, tone sharp, and Jaegar begins to growl at them too. ] Don't you think we would've gone home if we had the option?

[ Someone might want to break this up before it gets ugly. ]

snake's house (region 1; closed to angela)

[ It seems to Snake that Region 2 is always the one most affected by the various disasters that plague Thisavrou, to the point that he almost wishes that Angela wouldn't live there. Granted, it's her choice and she's settled well into her cabin in the woods. It just means that when the whole planet is getting frozen over, she's the one his thoughts go to first.

She'd taken his confessions unnaturally well. Snake almost wonders if it just hasn't sunk in for her yet, that he's the one who killed Venom, who's killed countless people at this point. That he's way too bloody for someone as clean as her.

But she's kept in contact and ultimately, he wants her safe, so he pushes past any hang-ups he has to reach out to her. This is urgent enough that he calls instead of texting. Easier that way.

As soon as she picks up, Snake makes his feelings clear. ] You're gonna have to evacuate.

wildcard

[ Want to do something that isn't covered here? Totally fine! PM me or hit me up at demonology if you want to discuss. ]

the coming ass

[brokeassgoing]

[why the fuck WHY THE FUCK!!!one11 WHY! Does he keep-- okay, no, why do people gotta be so paranoid and antsy and rabbling (is that even a word??) and, well, things are bad. It's not that surprising.

But the fact that he knows the people involved...]

Yo, yoooo peace, guys, peace! We've all got cold nuts, we don't gotta make this worse.

[notice he isn't getting in the middle of it though]

Frisk | OTA

[gainedlove]

[Thisavrou becomes less and less friendly by the day, but Frisk has done their best to try and ignore it. The sudden cold and crowding may force them to confront it more directly, however--their household, while still small, does till need to be fed and kept warm, and the options for doing so are even more limited when two-thirds of those living there absolutely refuse to do any sort of cooking that doesn't involve putting a frozen item in the microwave.]

[Weighed down with heavy bags, it's hard for a small child to hurry through hectic streets, and more than once they're bumped or outright pushed out of the way by larger bodies intent on filling their own needs. But after one particular stumble one bag spills all over the sidewalk, and there's a mad scramble before Frisk can even begin to recover.]

Wait--no, that's mine! Please!

[They rush forward to try and grab what they can, but the aliens shove them back again with horrible glares.]

"What could you possibly need with that much, greedy brat?!"

[undyingbeliefs]

Stand back.

[It's with a strong command and sword drawn that Evangeline steps forth. She has no authority here, she knows. But she looks like she could and she'll use every intimidation tactic she has up her armored sleeve.]

Return what you've taken, now.

Dorian Pavus | OTA | warning for mild violence and face burning

[liberaltus]

the land below . region 1 . outside lunam et sidus

[Dorian's decision to hole himself up in his apothecary was born more out of practicality and responsibility (ugh...responsibility, there was a reason he avoided leadership roles) than any real desire to hole himself up in a building that was probably colder inside than it was on the outside. Even though Region 1 wasn't suffering quite as hard as some of the others, he still had on the heaviest battlemage armor in his collection, giving him that hawkish, militaristic look about him. Probably didn't do him any favors, but he wasn't stupid, he knew what he looked like: less the amiable mage with the witty tongue and a flirtatious remark for anyone patient enough to engage him in conversation and more the threat. It wasn't without intent either, if he had to be threatening then he would be, it was that simple. He had few scruples about defending himself with deadly force when it came to it, not that he was a violent man, he was simply to pretty too die.

In addition, anyone who'd ever been inside of his apothecary would certainly have reason to want to break in, especially with the present climate, and Dorian wasn't referring to the blistering cold. There were dangerous objects in his shop, objects that the natives could use against the intruders, as they were being called lately. His Antivan Fire could be especially destructive by someone motivated to use it for ill-intended purposes and his instincts served him well. A small band of thieves were clustered just outside of his shop preparing to break in.]

Wonderful, a mob, what a perfect way to ruin my day. [Of course it comes out far too cheery for someone who's day was clearly ruined long before this.] I'm not disposed to acts of violence gentlemen...ah...oh...you're a lady, my apologies, it's not very ladylike to attempt to break into one's shop is it?

[Not that Dorian went out of his way to strike ladies, but he'll defend himself against anyone who posed a threat.

Of course his commentary earned him some back chat along the lines of his shop being in their region...and he was an intruder...and intruders shouldn't have the right to own property, never mind setting up shops...blah, blah, blah." He stopped listening a long time ago.]

The same old rot, you've been spewing it for days, doesn't it ever get old? No...I don't suppose it does well...[Dorian scanned his options carefully a soft sigh on his lips before he noticed two of their number attempting to bear down on him]...I didn't want to do this the hard way, but if you insist.

[Which was the cue, apparently, for everyone to attack at once and for the moment, at least, Dorian forewent the urge to use magic. He was a mage, he carried a staff, and he knew how to fight with it without using magic. He did quite well for himself, at least at first. Their numbers were both distracting and problematic and it wasn't long before he was blindsided by one of his attackers who managed to slam him face first into the pavement...well that was dizzying. As he was attempting to lever his body up and remove his face from a pool of his own blood, he had unsolicited assistance as one of the natives held him from behind while another one attempted to drive some sort of bladed wepon into his gut.

Fortunately for him, the battlemage armor stopped the blade from doing any real damage and that put the cheekiest of grins on Dorian's lips.] I know it doesn't look like much, it's even a bit gauche, but it serves it's purpose.

[Not entirely certain where he even found the strength given the fact that his brief encounter with the pavement still had him pinwheeling, Dorian managed to break the hold his attacker had on him using a move Venom had taught him (he would have to kiss the man when next he saw him). Though not at all certain what the self defense move was, it was enough to get his arms free so he could put the one holding him on the ground. It gave him a moment of distraction that enabled him to summon magic into his hand, it was wondrous in a sense that it transformed everything from the tips of his fingers right up to his forearm into something molten and dangerous...horrifying in that he put that same hand to the face of the one who knifed him.

He didn't seem to heed the shriek of pain as flesh melted beneath his fist and he didn't let up until he was satisfied that he'd horrified everyone around him enough to send them scrambling. One or two lagging behind to pick up their fallen comrade who'd fainted from the pain by this time, evacuating with chants of you'll pay for this...blah, blah, blah] I'm only too certain that I will.

[Did he seem concerned, not really.]

Throws in a templar-shaped wrench.

[undyingbeliefs]

[Evangeline was mildly familiar with chaos. So it wasn't terribly concerning that a group of people rushed passed her, however, bedraggled or beaten they might have looked. What was of concern was the one with burns over his face being carried by his fellows.

She attempted to interrupt them but they had none of it. One may have cursed her as they passed, but so huddled and spitting under their breath, she didn't bother to discern it further. Instead, she headed in the direction they had come, looking for what might have sparked the disturbance in the first place: a burning building, something broken, something out of place. She finds nothing of the like, only a man standing outside in the cold. She halts her steps when she sees his staff. It's not a challenge to put the two together. Her sword isn't drawn, and her hand keeps away from its handle. While the staff may have been the easiest thing to notice, she's observant enough to see he may not have been the worse for wear from that passing group, but certainly worn none-the-less.]

What's happened?

76 | ota get at me

[mylawn]

i. ingress complex

[76's talents mostly involve pointing guns at things and pulling triggers, so all of this is decidedly beyond 76’s skill set—it has him wishing, yet again, that Winston were here to perhaps explain it to him. Seeing as the Ingress is supposed to be getting everyone home sooner or later (even if he has his doubts about that), then he has to be at least a little invested in repairing it. Still, he’s not a scientist, and he’s incredibly suspicious of the Savrii as a rule (is it broken? Is it really), so he’s using this as a learning opportunity.

Probably he’s here to get a glimpse at the Ingress more than anything, but he doesn’t seem to care if anyone picks up on that. There’s value in people watching, even if it makes him look like kind of a creep (or maybe that’s just all the tactical gear).

He’ll hand you your tools. He’ll hand you your coffee. He’ll look pretty shifty if anyone maybe wonders if he’s supposed to be here—but he’s good at looking busy, or attentive, at the very least.]

You need a hand with that?

[He’s here to help.]

ii. kauto, r2

[If there’s one thing that 76 has going for him (and even then, ‘going for him’ is sort of a generous phrase), it’s his sheer bullheadedness. He’s not the only person who will attribute the fact that he’s living to that particular quality, and his tendency to dig his heels in has only become more pronounced with age.

Suffice to say, he didn’t evacuate when a lava monster rampaged through Region 2, and he certainly isn’t about to start now. 76 has weathered enough Midwestern winters to be fairly confident in his ability to stick this out, too. The ‘sun’ is gone? Fine, whatever. If it’s a problem for longer than he can endure a little snow, then he’ll get the heck out of dodge.

For now, however, he’s willing to stay put, taking what precautions he can as it starts to snow but otherwise making no moves to leave. Something like this would be the perfect time for Reaper and his cohort to strike, which means that leaving might be dumber than staying, depending on what happens.

Anyone evacuating through Region 2 for the safety of Region 1 might pass through a homestead that definitely has the lights on. There might even be the shape of a human out on the porch, observing the incoming weather.

Someone (stupid) is home.]

iii. wildcard

(I’ll do whatever the heck you want, and 76 can be wherever the heck you need. Hit me up on plurk at whitticus)

i

[frostedplum]

This isn't her area of expertise. Mei inputs data into a computer to have it come back with averages on climate change and then she can come up with time lines. This is a completely different thing, but Mei is pretty good at complicated equations even without a computer, so she's settled at a table with an empty paper cup covered in doodles beside her. It's what she's been doing when her brain needs a break.

Tapping a pencil against her lips, she sighs and moves to erase something, but looks up when 76 addresses her. Smiling sadly, she answers, "Only if you know how to formulate the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution in physics. I just can't remember it. I'm rusty on physics in general."

jerk of the week | ota | july 10 onward

[lavelly]

[ the coming days ]

[It's strange, to be back on the streets like this. Surreal, like he's walking through a dream. It's not nearly as cold as it was the few times they'd let him leave, but he curls into himself just the same as he goes, like he's trying to make himself hard to see. He slides his gaze away from anyone who might try to make eye contact, Savrii and non- alike. He can't help but think that they all know, even if that's impossible. Like what he's done is carved all over his own body.

He hadn't contacted anyone to tell them he's been released, just as he hadn't contacted anyone to tell them where he'd been, even when they'd given him the opportunity to. The shame is too much. He can barely stand to be out here as it is, in the open, feeling like a wound that has only just started to scab over. But some things are more important. There's work that needs to be done, people who need help, and that is more important than anything he might want.

That conviction is all that keeps him moving, now. He won't be selfish anymore.]

[ 01. ~makin my way downtown~ | for new cr ]

[For the most part he avoids those he recognizes as fellow Ingress immigrants, not wanting to draw attenion to to himself. Not out of fear, but because it will be easier for him to provide assistance if he stays beneath notice. There will be time for accountability once the dust settles.

But there are some things that he can't simply stay quiet for. The increased hostility toward the non-Savrii is obvious; he encounters it himself, ironically from people who can't possibly recognize him. He accepts it, because he of all people should be the target. But others are being blamed, too, and he can't just let it happen. That it's happening at all is his fault.

His fault.

The next fight he sees he strides right for, the purposefulness of it unbowing his head and unhunching his shoulders as if it can give him some mockery of dignity, and smoothly steps in between the native and whoever their target of harassment is.]

Please, don't. They didn't have anything to do with this.

[ 02. ~walkin fast faces pass and im homebound~ (sick piano breakdown) | for established cr ]

[It finally happens. He seems someone he knows.

Fear grips his chest and he turns down the closest side street, heart pounding, praying to anyone who will listen that he wasn't seen. He isn't ready for this. He isn't ready for the questions, the accusations, the demands. He should be, he should be at an understanding of himself, he should have accepted this by now but he isn't and he hasn't. He wants to go back to the mediation center and tell the guide to take him back because he can't do this after all, he can't live with the knowing, with other people knowing. He isn't ready, to face others, to face himself.

Then something in him says: you are being selfish. And that's all it takes. What he feels isn't important. If what the people he's hurt need is to rail at him, to throw accusations and make demands, then he will let them. It is the least he can do.

There is a certain peace to be found in not fighting.

And so he takes a slow, shaky breath, straightens his spine, and turns back.]

[ 03. wildcard ]

[Hit me up with whatever! Lavellan will be wandering around various places in need of aid, be they mediation centers, shelters, rations distribution--anywhere and any place that might need his help. Or hit me up at listen to plot something specific.]

1 bc i'm a jerk

[cockade]

[The Savriites who are being hostile are actually a small group hovering outside of Café A Paris, waiting for a specific owner to come out from his business. They have no specific timeline or idea of what may cause him to leave, but it's incredibly evident that they're waiting to badger him with questions and possibly a fight. So much so that eventually, Arno actually ventures out to ask them specifically if he can assist them.]

You've spent a good deal of the day studying my windows. [His tone is friendly and joking.] Are you looking to purchase glass at all in the future?

["Spare us your jokes, it was your people who caused this mess!" One of them jeers at him, clearly upset. Arno does his best to mitigate any ill-tempers, but it's not until Lavellan speaks up that the conversation actually stops, the Frenchman turning to look at the elf.]

I'd say that no one meant for any of this to happen. And accusing people or causing trouble isn't going to help us recover any faster.

Alan Bradley | Tron: Legacy | OTA

[alan_1]

nerds save the world (ingress complex)
[After the chaos and stress of the last few weeks, Alan only has a few brief days to catch his breath before the next crisis hits. And this world ending scenario is much more literal than the last. Alan doesn’t know how much he can help, but given the stakes, standing idly by isn’t much of an option.

Which is why you’ll be able to find him in the Ingress Complex for the next week or so, running on very little sleep. His contributions are limited to the software side of things, such as helping troubleshoot the programs on damaged consoles meant to monitor and regulate the Ingress’s energy. He doesn’t have enough experience to be working unsupervised, but fortunately, he doesn’t mind working in a group.]

I’m starting to wish I paid more attention when my wife talked about particle physics, [he mutters to no one in particular.] Seems like it might be useful at a time like this.

[deal_me_in]

It might, but given the variance of planes that this tech seems to be able to operate across, I think it would still only cover one aspect of function.

[The small AI-like object that speaks emerges from the consoles, passing right through it with but a brief sparkling. Hopefully it doesn't startle Alan too much. Its vertices twitching, the Ghost turns to glance back at the Ingress with something of a sigh.]

I thought it might operate the same as a transmat, but its ability to pull a subject from any given coordinates rather than rely on an established transmission point is quite remarkable. ...and thoroughly frustrating.

Yori | Tron 1982 | OTA

[yorisearching]

nerds save the world (ingress complex)

As an Ingress technician, Yori's struggled to learn just about everything there is to know when it comes to monitoring and operating the Ingress. All of this turns out to be pretty much useless when the Ingress itself has shut down for no apparent reason.

On the other hand, at least she can give other people the one-hour version of the things she's crammed into her memory all these months.

Her main function is analysis, to the extent she can get enough data to make that useful. When there's no data to analyze, Yori runs errands and ideas between groups, or gives short lessons on what the Ingress is and what the problems might or might not be.

Between runs, exhausted and unwilling to leave when she doesn't know if she might be able to help, she finds a corner and curls around a half-charged battery instead of food or drink, blue armor askew.

Someone might need to tell her to rest.

[notglitching]

Does Rinzler know much of anything about the Ingress? No. Is analysis his function? Also no. Still, he'd consider it highly probable that the system will not self destruct if Yori steps aside for proper sleep or power.

The enforcer announces his arrival the usual way: sudden looming. A low rattling is suddenly at Yori's side, helmet slanted down at her as she clings to the spare power... or what's left of it. When Yori spots him, he angles the mask a little further. Rinzler suspects he can guess, but the query is still worth asking.

Status?

Pepper Potts | ota

[efficacy]

i. region 1 | the land below | ota

[ Pepper isn't much use in the Ingress Complex where the more technically and scientifically savvy people are hard at work hopefully fixing the Ingress. They probably had enough others there to help keep everyone caffeinated; she takes her efforts outside into the chill and the darkness, as much as she might prefer to stay indoors where it's still warm enough. But, she can't just do nothing in a crisis.

She isn't the only one. There are plenty of volunteers pulling together to share whatever supplies they have to spare, Pepper is only organizing the effort slightly in a square in the downtown area. Soon, they've managed to set up a little supply distribution hub together rather than each going at it on their own, sprinkled randomly along the streets. It's more organized this way, but also there's safety in numbers -- those Savrii who look to blame someone for the Ingress malfunction are vocal in their distrust and vindictiveness. Frankly, it concerns Pepper more than a little going forward, wondering how lasting the damage done to the relations between the refugees and the Savrii was.

Are you one of the volunteers handing out supplies? Or maybe you're okay to hang around to keep an eye on things, in case there is trouble -- and eventually, there will be. Maybe you happen to pass by and hear raised voices of the agitated Savrii taking offense, with Pepper attempting to mediate. ]


ii. the ingress complex | ota

[ It isn't until she's been outside sharing supplies for a good while that Pepper finally takes a break from the cold and the dark and heads to the Complex to check things out. She wants to say it's because she wants to see if there's anything she can do over there, but really it's to gauge the situation for herself and to read the room; whether there's been progress in fixing the Ingress.

She might also be helping herself to a cup of coffee that seems so plentiful around here, cradling the warm cup between chilly hands. Sorry not sorry.

You might be a fellow bystander or somone actually qualified to work on the problem, once it looks like you're not overly busy, she might approach with a simple, ]

How's it going, so far?


iii. wildcard | ( hmu with anything else or contact me at ebsolutely if you'd like to plot something! )

ii.

[yorisearching]

[Pausing in her effort to mail everyone the data they've asked for via TAB, Yori smiles at the unfamiliar face.]

No one's made a newsworthy breakthrough, but the work's going well.

[Better than Yori expected...though she's been around the Moira crew long enough that she honestly expected at least one person to come and start a fight.

She's not inclined to admit that where the Savrii can hear her. They still don't trust their imports, especially those who are trying to be safe and have stained green hair to hide after the decontamination effort. This peaceful cooperation is good and she's doing her best to keep it that way.]

Are you here to help? Can I find you anything?

Wanda Maximoff | crau | open

[witchweird]

1.

Wanda was caught on Aioros when the Ingress quit working -- not the best place to be stranded, but probably not the worst either. Base camp got crowded, but with only a week of downtime, no one had to resort to jury-rigging new kinds of air filters made from native moss, or uncertain chemical reactions to remove poison from the meat of the native animals. A lot of talk, a few experiments, then civilization appeared again.

It made Wanda feel strange, though, back in Region 1 of Kauto. It seemed different, and not just because she'd lost her base of operations in the city -- during the crisis, the daughter of the house had reclaimed the room Wanda had previously been staying in -- or because her trade contacts were more than a month out of date. The spirit of the city had changed; hardship would do that.

And Wanda didn't doubt that there had been hardship. She hadn't been here, but she could imagine what it had been like. The idea of the source of energy for a whole system just shutting down--

Wanda shook her head. Maybe she couldn't imagine it. What kind of a place was this? How did they go on from that?

She walked the streets, on the lookout for a place to sleep, but there was a remoteness to her gaze, an air of observation. She was watching; she was thinking; she was not trying to get involved.

2.

She ended up sleeping in the storage shed that held the remainder of her trade goods. Several dozen blankets, a hot plate to warm her evening tea and morning porridge -- she'd seen worse. The first evening was long, though, and Wanda's thoughts wandered from reading the latest news on her TAB to thinking about the situation Thisavrou was in.

This place can't survive without the Ingress, she thought angrily. Of all the places to be stuck when the Ingress shut down, Thisavrou was probably the worst. And knowing the Ingress energy that fed all life in the system -- know that it could disappear in an instant, if something went wrong again, how could things ever return to normal?

This place can't survive without an Ingress, she thought abruptly, everything rearranging in her head. Had anyone considered that? Probably not the Savrii, with their pride and their attacks on other users of Ingress technology, but that was before this had happened.

Digging around frantically, ablaze with her idea, Wanda found the outfit she'd used for a previous attempt at sharing her thoughts with her neighbours through graffiti. A little more digging turned up some paint.

But as she considered the message, it didn't condense down into a simple slogan. "Thisavrou needs friends" -- yes, but that didn't explain her idea in full.

After a few long minutes trying out various permutations, Wanda realized that blazoning this message on the sides of buildings wasn't the way to go about it. This wasn't a protest.

She dug around some more, and found a printer and some paper and then spent a little time composing her message into the interface on the printer. Unlike her TAB, the printer wasn't connected to anything; this might not be property damage, but Wanda had seen no explicit protection for speech or expression in the Savrii's way of doing things; she was not going to do this in a way that could be traced back to her.

It took her a while, but eventually she had an article that expressed what she was thinking. Thisavrou couldn't survive without an Ingress, but it didn't have to be their own. If the Ingress ever failed again, or if it failed permanently, the people of Thisavrou could only survive if they had allies who also had an Ingress, who could reopen the ways that had closed, send aid or experienced technicians, and in the case of absolute catastrophe, evacuate the system.

Thisavrou cannot survive alone, Wanda wrote. More Ingresses are needed, as failsafes and backups. Make friends and allies of those who have expertise -- don't attack them. Someday, they may be Thisavrou's only hope.

The irony of an impassioned call to make friends, coming from her, so alone and distrustful, never struck her. She printed hundreds of copies, erased the original from the memory of the printer, and put on her identity-concealing outfit. Then she snuck out to put them in stacks in train stations and other public places. "Free, Take One," the sign propped atop each stack said.

1

[sketchycharacter]

Things had been getting better since the tech nerds got the Ingress back online, if only because they couldn't get worse than a double global apocalypse. People were covering, though, physically and mentally.

Some more than others, which is way it gave Nate pause when he saw that girl—Wanda—drifting down the street. She didn't look upset, but she looked...something. "Hey. You all right?"

nerds save the world;

[arcreact]

[ Tony doesn't need to be asked twice, where the Ingress is concerned. He's headed for the Ingress complex almost before he's finished reading the message on his TAB, dragging with him his personal selection of tools and JAVRIS' copies of all previously taken Ingress-related notes and research.

From past experience, it seems the only real solution with this thing is to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.

He more or less lives at the complex until the work is done - (1) pacing back and forth muttering to himself like and insane person; (2) futzing with complex mechanical parts or shoving as much of himself into the machine as he can; (3) talking to a British-sounding AI like it's a close personal friend and associate, which it probably is based on the amount it seems to know about the Ingress; (4) misplacing his sixth cup of coffee (it's right behind him, it's literally right behind him he just keeps turning in the wrong direction); and (5) occasionally looking up like he's suddenly realized other people are around, if the train of thought was particularly good. ]

What time is it?

[ Not like it matters. ]

... And where'd the soldering iron go?

[sketchycharacter]

[Oh look, it's the coffee fairy, come to bring hot pots to the geniuses who will hopefully save him and everyone else from freezing to death.]

Over there.

[What he hands Tony is a mug, not a soldering iron, though.]

Drink this first. Cuz I've been standing here for ten minutes without you noticing.