thisavrou_log | ( february intro log )

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( february intro log )

Who: Everyone
When: February 1st and on
Where: The Moira + Emiri
What: The crew finds themselves on the planet of Emiri
Warnings: Mentions of a corpse. Please label your content!

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famed & framed
"There will be no prison which can hold our movement down."

The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar.

Yet, unlike most new crew arrivals, this one is in the middle of chaos.

Despite more recent events, the planet of Emiri is not as peaceful as it once was. Frederick Link is still missing, and the authorities of Emiri have yet to lift the interplanetary ban they have placed on all space crafts docked at the aerospace. The captains previous held a meeting asking crew for any and all information that might help them locate the Komai, a mysterious group determined to undermine Link'd Inc's work providing flourishing matches across the universe by causing random acts of violence and protest across the three main cities: Harashan, Avelle, and St. Murtel. These things have led to mass arrests as well as an unsettling atmosphere spreading across the planet, and since a previous broadcast, things are beginning to escalate.

A downward spiral of these events begins as soon as new arrivals start to leave the Ingress—an unmarked box arrives in the cargo bay addressed to the inhabitants of the Moira. As per his job, Niko Bellic is the one to discover this box and open it. For some, the contents may be particularly gruesome. Link’s body is inside, clothed in a simple white button-down and pants (no shoes), and it looks as if letters have begun to bleed through the material. Anyone with expert knowledge of torture may note that Link was, in fact, tortured for information, and those letters? The writing itself spells out the name St. Murtel.

The captains, having been alerted of this, make an attempt to contact those at Link’d Inc. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done.

☄ First: MISCOMMUNICATION

Somehow, whether intentional or not, the Komai have once again hacked public systems and networks to brand those of the Moira as the ones behind these terroristic acts. They still use their own name, but the images are different, focusing on familiar faces wearing the ship’s uniforms and traveling to the Aerospace to return to the Moira. Not only that, there are short recordings of Link’s final words that mention a very recognizable name: Captain Thán. The Komai have redirected the blame to the Moira and its crew for their own means, and in response, any and all crew who are captured by authorities will immediately be detained and shipped out to unknown locations. The Captains send a message via MID and request everyone return to the ship to prevent this from happening. Yet, not all messages will be delivered depending on how far away they are.

With everyone’s safety hanging in the balance, the Captains have decided to take things into their own hands and find a way to lift the block on the Moira so they can leave Emiri’s orbit and avoid further repercussions regardless of whether or not any one of the crew wants to stay.

☄ Second: DECOY & DISTRACT

After learning that Benjamin Link, son of recently deceased Frederick Link, knows how to unlock the ship so they can leave, the captains ask for volunteers to act as decoys on a mission to the Aerospace in Harashan. Their job is to distract guards and Emiri citizens, leaving the path clear for Benjamin to get to the computers. The captains reiterate that they are to use nonfatal methods as they don’t want a repeat of the events on Caducus Primary. Without his help, the ship won’t be able to leave, making this mission critical and extremely time sensitive.

☄ Third: RESCUE

During the mission, Benjamin informs the crew that the Komai aren’t incorrect in their claims that Link’d Inc uses unforgivable means to obtain information in order to make their matches perfect. The children the crew dreamed about are just two of many—the offspring of Emirian citizens who had gone missing. It has long been suspected that Link’d Inc was involved in their disappearances, but only recently has the Komai done anything to shed light on these gruesome rumors. Benjamin, after successfully unlocking the ship, disables the security systems in St. Murtel, which will allow the children a chance to escape. They’ll need assistance in getting out of St. Murtel and to a pre-designated area in Avelle where a group of Komai and Emirians will be waiting for them.

But be careful. If anyone is recognized as part of the crew, they will be placed under arrest for treason and possibly never heard from again.

☄ Fourth: BREAKING OUT

Now that the computer systems in Harashan’s Aerospace have been used to release the Moira, the entire crew are being called back via MID for an expedient exit from Emiri. Crew will be asked to assist other Moirans in getting back to the ship as quickly as possible via transporters or other small crafts as leaving is their only option at this point. In the escape, Emiri launches an attack on the Moira in an attempt to stop them. The ship’s previously unused defense systems activate, and those assigned to those positions are required to man their posts. Perhaps even those who don’t have the clearance are needed. Either way, it’s time to leave.

☄ Fifth: REFUGEES

Now that the ship has finally escaped Emiri’s orbit, the crew will notice a group of stragglers in the main hall. During the crew’s quick exit, about fifty Emirians have taken refuge aboard the Moira, and the captains have agreed to take them to the closest planet so they may start again or live a life free of Link’d Inc “rule”. The captains ask the crew to help get them clothes and food for their short stay, no longer than a day at most, and to occupy them as best they can. Tell jokes, sing songs, bring up the kittens so that everyone can attempt to wind down after this series of unfortunate events. Light entertainment won’t be provided, but on request, some crew members may do just that.

( ooc; This plot is spread out over the first half of the month of February, and follows the order of the prompts listed above. Feel free to take as much time as you need to with your characters and use the info above for posts/logs at your discretion. For questions, go here. Please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )

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Toriel might--but she's somewhere far, far away right now, and Frisk is the only one around.

Chara keeps their head down, rocking until the raggedness of their breath is quieter, and the trembling has slowed. They hate how everything is different when Frisk is around, and they especially hate how if they weren't so furious, this horrible feeling in their chest would feel like tears. They're upset. They've gotten all worked up over some bullshit innocent reassurance that Frisk probably couldn't help but give, and now they've gone and hurt them just by being themself, and they still can't unclench their jaws.

They think over Frisk's words and press their face harder into their arms. There's nothing offensive about them at all. They're sweet. Misguided.

They're not going to uncurl from the ball while Frisk is still here. They plan to wait, and maybe not even move for a long while after they've left.

The tears start without Frisk even realizing, fat drops rolling down their cheeks and dripping onto their shirt and lap. They can't bring themself to look away from Chara, wishing with everything they have that they could find a way to stop all that hurt and pain inside them, to just be able to understand and help them heal.

It's a long time before Frisk finally finds the strength to stand again, though their legs are shaky and their breathing funny. They don't want to leave, but Chara could not make it any more clear that they don't want anything to do with Frisk right now. Still, Frisk lingers for a few more moments before turning to silently make their way back out of the hold, trying and failing to hold their sniffles back until they're well enough away.

---

It's well after lights out when Frisk comes back again, much more timid in their approach this time and carrying a peace offering in their pocket. It's only one bar, and it's definitely not the right brand, but god bless whoever it was that decided the ship needed s'mores supplies at some point previous.

Frisk pauses a few feet away from the cell bars, swallowing and considering just leaving the chocolate at the edge of the cell for Chara, but finally the speak up in that hushed tone when you're not sure someone is asleep, but you still need to talk to them.

"Chara? I...can we talk? Please?"

Chara stirs from the bunk. They're only wearing their thermals from the waist up, and the room's heat is oppressive enough that even that might still be unpleasant to sleep in. It doesn't seem to bother them, fortunately, and they they rub a fist to their eye, sitting up.

One might say they were scowling, except there's nothing behind the look but sleep. No--it's a squint.

"Frisk?" Chara turns their way and mumbles something that might be some sort of inquiry.

"Mm-hmm."

Frisk looks uneasy, fidgeting with their hands and their gaze darting around. Their guilt is written clear as day on their face. "I. I wanted to say sorry for before. I didn't wanna upset you like that."

They take a few steps forward, and pull out the bar of chocolate to hold out through the bars. "Um. I snuck this out of the kitchen for you."

"Oh." They stare into space, then look down as memories trickle back. They ought to be ashamed, and they are, but with its crippling intensity fogged up by sleep it feels inadequate.

"No. Um. You really didn't. Have to..."

They stand automatically, going to the front of the cell. The bar is rectangular, and even as their mouth waters they stare as though uncomprehending. "You... uh, wow. Thanks." The weight of it when they take it is familiar, even if the brand is not.

They blink at it. Then they blink at the hallway, looking lost.

"... Do you want some?"

No. They want to offer, and it's uncomfortable to push through the stupor into making decisions at all, but this isn't how Frisk will take it. Chara shucks off the candy's foil and breaks the bar neatly in half, already pressing one in Frisk's direction.

Frisk feels a bit of their guilt and worry ease with Chara's sleepy acceptance. They smile faintly, their hands curling around the bars once Chara has taken the chocolate. "I wanted to, though."

The offer takes Frisk off their guard, and they blink in confusion. "Huh? You don't have to..."

But Chara has already started opening it, and Frisk just huffs out a soft breath before accepting their half. Even now, Chara's still trying so hard to take care of them, huh? "It's supposed to all be for you, silly."

Chara shrugs a little, apparently far more interested in popping one square into their own mouth. They chew, closing their eyes. They slow.

Then the pick back up again, staring at the ground with an odd sort of sorrow. Flavors, memories--they'd experienced them when they'd been with Frisk, but some part of them is insisting that it's different now. They're alone. All this flavor is reserved for them.

Frisk is still here with them for it.

Their voice is a little rough from the chocolate. "Hey, um." They swallow, then briefly meet Frisk's gaze.

"... Thanks."

They give them a small, grateful smile, and their face must have creaked from the newness of it. Maybe they should smile more. Maybe not.

Frisk takes a nibble of their half of the bar, breaking the square off with their mouth and settling it in the side of their cheek to suck on and let it last a little longer. It's no MTT-Brand, but it's still pretty good.

For a moment, they're surprised that Chara doesn't have an immediate response for the thought. It's so strange, not having their friend inside their mind.

That smile, though...Frisk blinks in surprise before they beam right back, a warmth welling up from deep inside. Determination fills them up, deep in their bones; Chara should be smiling like this all the time, and they want to make sure that can happen. "You're welcome! 'M glad you like it."

Frisk's smile is like sunshine, and Chara's own smile warms from it. It's a nice moment. It reminds them that even after everything that's happened, Frisk is still Frisk.

Chara's eyes slide off to the side. "Hey, Frisk." There's something they need to say, and now's the best time for it. They're calm and not about to melt down or scream at anyone. How often does this happen?

"Um." They hold on to their lingering mood, but can't help but feel that it's being too dismissive. They let it go a little more, concentrating on sounding sincere. "I'm really sorry about earlier." More solemnity. "That was... I went a little nuts, there, I guess." Ha ha. 'Nuts', like some slapstick cartoon. They made Frisk cry, and it's the most unfunny thing they can think of.

"I shouldn't have..."

It's been an entire progression, and by now they're looking down.

Frisk listens quietly, edging a little closer to the bars while they do. They reach through the bars again, this time to rest their hand gently on Chara's wrist. Their smile is soft and understanding.

"It's okay. I know you get upset sometimes." For all that Chara tends to drop the subject quickly, they've heard the start of enough stories to know how their friend can be. It was just...jarring, to suddenly see that for themself. "I'm not mad."

"Thank you," they say a little hoarsely. The smile on their face has become a grimace, and the both of them are talking in grievous understatements, but Chara can't bring themself to set things right. The subject should die. To their knowledge, this is the only sort of thing Frisk has let them kill without protest.

"... Um." Happy thoughts. Frisk did something nice for them, and the least Chara can do is to avoid bringing them down. (Not that they might not do it anyway.) They clear their throat, glancing back into the cell.

Their gaze lands on discarded food wrappers and a plastic bottle. "... Hey." They turn back to Frisk. "We probably have royalty on board." The fact sounds far less exciting out loud than it did in their head, and it wasn't particularly interesting there either. They might as well have spotted a professional acrobat. 'Keep an eye out', they'd say, 'he might do a trick.'

Edited 2016-02-27 03:41 (UTC)

Frisk nods, their thumb rubbing against the back of Chara's hand in that odd old habit of theirs. It would be too awkward to reach around to try and pat them properly, anyway.

The change of subject catches their interest, and Frisk is willing enough to let the topic of anger issues slide away into the background again. But royalty...Chara can't mean Asriel, he's definitely royalty. Something about this person has Chara nervous, though, and that in itself is enough to get Frisk concerned as well. "...is that bad?"

Is it?

"Only if he decides he knows what's best," they say coolly, attention turned inward. "... Which he might. He's a cop, too." And that was all of Chara's problems all wrapped up in a bundle, wasn't it? Kings. Cops. Conscience.

At least he had the decency to bring food. (Speaking of, they pop another chocolate square into their mouth.)

...oh boy. Again with this junk.

Frisk sighs and pouts a little, giving Chara somewhat tired look. "They're not all bad..." Frisk doesn't really expect Chara to listen, though, and continues on before any real argument about the issue can start. "Did he come to talk to you? What did he say?"

Chara frowns, unmoved, then shrugs. What did they talk about? The conversation had blown up to something enormous in their mind, but it actually hadn't been very long.

"He wanted to know why I'd..." They close their mouth. "Why, um." Again? This is stupid. Even if it was a disaster of a meeting, they still need to snap out of this.

"... Why I'd attacked Papyrus. He kept asking over and over. I didn't have a lot to say."

Frisk frowns again, then sighs, looking down at the ground. They're still upset about that, but...they don't want to fight with Chara again, not right now.

"That kinda thing is his job. He has to." Frisk chews on another bite of chocolate for a few long seconds, then looks up. "He didn't ask anything...funny, did he?" He doesn't know about Determination, does he?

"If by funny you mean did he run around in circles the entire time, then yeah. Funny." They both turned their wheels for nothing, then, didn't they? Chara feels tired just thinking about it. They sigh.

"... He doesn't know anything." It's a statement that promises more words will follow, but Chara stops there. 'He'd wanted to know'. So what? 'Chara had been tempted to tell him.' So what? 'He seemed sometimes like he actually cared'.

Chara hates humans, and adults are the least trustworthy of the lot. They're the ones with the all power, and the ones who'll laugh or ignore it if it if there's anything that hurts them. They're the ones everyone loves, and they'll love any kid but Chara. That's sort of okay, because Chara's not very lovable, but Chara hated them for it anyway. Every last one of them deserved to die. Chara would sing if they could be the one directing the knife. Someday, maybe if their karma finally turned around, they'd get to be the only one left.

Gregor was human. He was all of those things, and he'd picked at their scabs one like they were scratch-to-win circles on a lottery ticket, and they hurt. He was cruel, and there was something seriously messed up about how he didn't think they were broken. How could he think... how could anyone think that they didn't need fixing... ?

They'd rather dump the whole problem on someone else. Not Frisk, necessarily, but someone. Chara tries to shake the whole thing off with another sigh.

"He'll probably try again later. He didn't finish. And he's bringing food."

Frisk lets out a soft breath of relief, closing their eyes and letting their head rest against the bars. But there's something in Chara's tone that makes them look up again, some of that worry still clinging on.

They know very well the grievances that Chara has with anyone in authority, they way they scowl and grumble and snap about how they're just bullies that think they're justified, how they can't be trusted for anything. Frisk never believed a bit of it, but they know that sometimes bad eggs can rise up to prove something like that. They remember listening to the other kids in the old homes, the scary stories they sometimes talked about.

But that's not how it is here. Someone like that would be found out right away...wouldn't they?

They squeeze Chara's hand for a moment, trying their best to be reassuring. "I'll come back, too. Okay?"

Chara squeezes back without even having to think, and their lips curve upward. "Thanks." The fact that the lights in the room are half-dim to simulate night is suddenly conspicuous in their head, and they spare a moment to be grateful that Frisk visited anyway. Neither of them tend to stay up this late on their own.

They let go of Frisk's hand. "Can you bring more food next time?" A pause. "Like a cake? With a file baked into it?"

They smile back and nod, blinking a little sleepily. It is pretty late, after all, and they should have been in bed hours ago. Frisk is tempted to spend the night here, anyway--it wouldn't be the worst place they've ever slept.

Frisk blinks, then laughs and shakes their head at the joke. "Chara! They'd catch you before you could finish, dummy! But I can bring you somethin' else."

Chara pretends to be disappointed, fighting the grin that tries to split their face in half.

"Oh well. Fine. Maybe some more chocolate, then?"

Frisk really is a miracle worker. Chara's been killed, kidnapped, stripped of power, thrown in jail, and beaten soundly at every other turn, and Frisk still manages to end their second visit with laughter and smiles. Maybe Chara won't have such awful nightmares after they're gone. It's a nice thought.

Frisk face is a mirror to Chara's own mirth--they're glad they're still able to cheer their friend up, regardless of whatever else is upsetting them. It wouldn't feel right to leave them upset twice in a row. "I'll try! They put it all on a really high shelf."

Suddenly Frisk's grin turns into a long yawn, and they pout and rub at their eyes. "Mnnn...I wanna stay here with you."

The yawn is too much to resist, but not so much that they don't make shooing motions. "Go to bed, Frisk. It's too hot in here. Besides, I probably snore."

They turn and walk back to their cot, taking a pointed bite of the chocolate bar as they go. There's enough to last them for more than the night if they ration it, but it's been such a long time since they've had a treat like this. They'll probably finish the whole thing.

They whine again, but Chara is already going back to their cot. Frisk sighs and takes another bite of the chocolate, then wraps it back up and puts it in their pocket. Best to save the rest for later.

"Okay...good night, Chara. Love you." They take a few steps back from the bars, then turn to make their way back out the doors. "'Ll be back in th' morning."

"You too," they mumble without turning, waving a little. "Thanks."

It's a magic Chara's never understood, this ability to transform a dungeon into a place they can stand, even if just for a little while. Pretending the cot is as soft as a cloud, Chara curls up on their side and closes their eyes.

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( february intro log )

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