( event )

[hownkai]

Who: The crew of the Moira
When: 9/18 to 9/30
Where: Planet and ship
What: Main event; all info inside
Warnings: Effects from Exuo, heavy and graphic themes

PENUMBRA

"Into the darkness they go..."

As the crew enters its third week aboard the Moira, the majority of supplies have been gathered, and everyone will find themselves with more free time than before. The marketplace has offered numerous diversions, as well as the opportunity to trade for items they need or want. Life on the Moira is relatively peaceful, and there have been no unusual occurrences. Excursions onto the planet have yielded an invaluable resource called Exuo, which has been determined to be a rare mineral that is used for multiple purposes. A general awareness has spread among those aboard the Moira that, while it is used as an additive to food and drink, resulting in a slightly elevated change in demeanor and leaving a person feeling generally better, it is also in the air they breathe. The effects of Exuo will vary from person to person.

Yet...

Things have started to change. The once vibrant sunlight that hasn’t given anyone a moment’s reprieve is now slowly beginning to disappear, and with it, a shadow is being cast across the horizon. The red dust is more noticeable now than ever, blanketing every surface, and the planet’s true grunge surfaces.

☄THE EMPTY MARKET

The hustle and bustle of the marketplace has slowly started to taper off, leaving behind empty stalls and hastily closed up shops. What visitors the crew have encountered are no longer so friendly; they won’t say a word as to where they are going or why. All that’s left are the few things they could not carry with them to their own ships before leaving. But is it worth the peculiar looks the natives are giving as you traverse the now quiet streets to take them? What is this abrupt feeling of unease weighing down on your shoulders?

The only living things that remain, aside from them, are the members of the Moira, but it’s not a comforting notion, especially if you step into the ever-growing shadows.

☄THE NATIVES

With light dwindling quickly, nothing is safe anymore. Those people with the plain masks and hoods worn to hide their faces? They’re not so quiet and not so friendly now. Their behavior drastically deteriorates the darker it becomes, shifting from harmless and complacent to feral and dangerous. They lash out at anyone who gets too close, and they don’t hesitate to drag away those foolish enough to get closer. And those masks and hoods? They, too, have been tossed aside with the slow setting of those distant stars.

● Aside from physical outbursts, some of them may be found trying to damage the transporters to prevent return to the Moira.
● Their mouths appear sunken in, stained red like the Exuo this planet is known for. Or is that something else soaked into their skin? Are you sure all those visitors made it back to their own ships? Their small black eyes never seem to close either.
● They are thin in stature but relatively strong. It will take more than one person to overpower them.
● If approached, they will retaliate with sharp nails and teeth. Their movements are aggressive, meant to disable but not kill.
● Killing the natives comes with no reprimand from the captains.

☄PURLOIN & OBLATION

The suns have eclipsed.

What light there is can only be found through artificial sources, and with the lack of light also comes alterations in the crew’s own mood. Where MIDs had detected a decrease in stress and increase in endorphins, that is no longer the case now. Some may find themselves irritable for no reason, while others are torn between fits of paranoia and excessive anger. The pleasant sweetness of the Exuo in the air has dissipated, leaving a staleness behind, and those that have been exposed longer to the surface of the planet suffer extensively more than those who have not left the safety of the Moira for extended periods of time.

However, most crew members will find themselves desperate to return to the empty marketplace or even the mines. Perhaps they are in search of more Exuo, or maybe they simply want to find those natives to question them or take out that aggression on something not so fragile. During this time, disappearances are more noticeable than ever, and those who go in search of friends and crew may find more than they bargained for.

●the seized: The darkness is unerringly quiet, and the natives that still linger on the planet have faded away with the sun. Maybe you find yourself in the deserted marketplace, or outside the wreckage of a transporter that’s been torn apart. The sounds you hear come from your left and grow steadily louder beside you. The sudden irritability that the crew has been experiencing multiplies and transforms into a paranoia that leaves you wanting to beg for the sun to return. Thin but strong arms wrap around you, long fingers with sharp nails dig into your skin. They don’t speak, or attack with the intent to hurt you, merely pull you away and back into the shadows. Whether you struggle or fight back doesn’t matter, try to get free.
●the subjugated: With your arms and feet bound, you wake up in an unfamiliar place. It may be hard to remember where you were last, or it may be crystal clear. You were taken by a group of the planet’s natives, tied up and thrown into a hollowed out pit in the ground. The dirt smells sickeningly sweet, metallic, and it overpowers your senses. There are others around you, both crew members from the Moira and people you might recognize from the marketplace. You know now that the disappearances weren’t random, or normal, and are the result of the natives capturing explorers and traders for their own unknown reasons. **
●the scarified: They want the the light back. This much is clear now. The natives believe their sun was stolen, and the only way to guarantee its return is through offering worthy sacrifices. With whatever dim lighting there is, you make out the shape of an altar slathered in something wet and dark. You are on your knees beside others that were chosen, waiting in line to be sacrificed. The person ahead of you is lifted and carried to the altar, and with the natives gathered together,chanting growing louder, there are quick movements before everything goes still all at once. Are you next? Or has someone come to save you?

The only reprieve from this nightmare is the familiar sound of the Moira’s transporter ships landing nearby. The crew has banded together and are on their way to free you. **

☄ASCENSION

The planet is no longer safe. Through a series of disturbing events, it has become clear that the crew cannot stay. Supplies has been gathered, hopefully enough to last until they can find another place to dock, and the captains, through the MID devices and in person, are ushering everyone back to the ship. It is imperative that everyone board swiftly so that they can make a hasty retreat. There is nothing left for anyone here.

( ooc; ** These options are for those who signed up for the event. All other characters are encouraged to rescue their crewmates from these situations as quickly as possible! For questions and/or plot, go here. )

Comments

[narcissistictendencies]

[That authoritative tone, in turn, makes Tony bristle. He always takes so well to being told what to do, and if his mind was clearer, he might have had a sharp word or two on that note. Instead, he hinges on his favourite old crutch; self-depreciation.]

So what else's new? That's what I'm known for, did you know?

[His words are surprisingly clear, though slowly spoken. When the other Tony continues, he rolls his eyes. He pushes away from the table, but doesn't stand just yet, only stares accusingly at the empty space between himself and the glass. It was hard. Very hard not to pick it back up.]

Isn't it? How would you know what helps me? You're me, but we're not the same. You with your level head and calm words and--and gorgeous eyes. I'm the screw-up even compared to alternate me. What the hell do you know?

[But he lifts his gaze back up and fixes it on the faceplate of the other Tony's suit. Despite his argumentative nature, he does stand, albeit a bit shakily. Was it just him or did this other Tony seem like a natural leader? But something the other Tony said tugs at him a bit and it was probably the only reason he didn't fight him off.]

People are missing?

[definingfuture]

[Tony's eyes narrow behind the faceplate. Yes, he does know. He's made some mistakes--some very big mistakes--and the sad part of human nature is that people latch onto those mistakes and try to bury others under them. It's a deep hole to climb out of. One almost as deep as the one he's looking at as the other Tony snaps back at him.]

I know you.

[He persists even though his double is right and they aren't exactly the same. Close enough, he tells himself. It still counts. They're still both Tony Stark and (presumably) Iron Man. He hasn't seen the other Stark in armor yet and the subject hasn't really come up--that's his fault. He should have asked.]

People are missing and they're going to need our help. You're not going to be able to help them if you hide in here the whole time and I- and I'm not level-headed right now.

[Why would he be in the mess hall in the first place if he were as calm as the other Tony apparently thought he was? The frustration welled up, and before he could stop himself, Tony blurted out:]

Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

I'm so sorry!

[narcissistictendencies]

[Tony's annoyance spikes, but he schools it back, ignoring how his imaginary hackles rise when the other Tony snaps at him, proclaiming to know him. He scoffs. Yeah, sure you do, buddy. To be fair, the other Tony knew him better than he would like to admit, even with their differences.]

And you think I am? I've had some hangovers in my life, to be sure. I hardly remember half of my 'party' years, and let's face it, I've been drunk more than sober for a long time! But this? This is off the scale in comparison! I feel like my entire body is itching for a fix I can't give it so it's rebelling! I have a headache worse than any hangover, and my temper's a bit on the short-fuse side, so don't presume you think you know what I'm feeling!

[The small rant was cinched with a pained sound that came out with a hiss of breath. Though, now that he's gotten that little tirade out of his system, he's just left slightly trembling with the symptoms, but the fire of his anger is dying down. At least, until Tony says that. It's like someone nuked his temper with napalm.

He lashes out quickly, grabbing for any angled crevices in the suit chest piece that would allow him a grip to jerk the other Tony for his fixed attention. It didn't matter much if the other Tony blocked or knocked his hold away, he still pinned him with an intense glare, hold or no hold. The piercing glare doesn't waver, but he can't argue with the demand, even though it grated against every fibre of his being to be told he was feeling sorry for himself. Mostly, because it was true.

When he finally does speak again, his tone is low, dark, and rough. He speaks slowly and clearly, articulating each word with precision.]

I'll find them. Then I'm decking you square in the jaw. How many are missing? My suit's almost out of power, so I'm flying blind on the planet without it.

:c tony

[definingfuture]

[He does struggle when Tony reaches for him, but it's mostly a gut reaction to being grabbed. Even in the armor, the alarm makes him draw back and try to escape the clutching grip. Once he realizes he's still secure, Tony stops trying to pull away and scowls back at the angry face staring him down. It's unnerving to have to look at himself like that. Ragged from withdrawal and furious, looking exactly like he knows he would if their positions were reversed. He'd come to the mess hall for the same reason, hadn't he? He wants to believe he would have been strong and resisted the urge to feed that demon, but the pull was still there. It still got them both to the same place.]

You're not going out there without protection. The air is contaminated too, so you'll only get worse.

[It's a lot easier to sound rational when your voice is coming through speakers. He's really just grateful for the armor at the moment, because otherwise Tony would have probably hit him first and then started talking.]

We need to let this run its course first, but you can't keep falling back on the habit. I need you to stay sober.

[Is the other Tony always this reckless? Is he this reckless? It's a worrying thought, because if he's honest with himself, he probably is.]

[narcissistictendencies]

[The other Tony jerks out of his grip when he draws back, but it doesn't deter him from staring him down adamantly. He rolls his eyes, still trying so hard to ignore the urge to throw punches, even though he'd break his fist on the armour before he actually got anywhere close to stress relief. Normally, he liked this guy. Hell, enough to flirt with him, but his temper was just worn a bit thin.]

Last time I checked, I don't take orders from you. And I really don't think you understand how shitty I feel right now. I can't really get much worse!

[Breathe, Tony. He draws a slow, deep breath and lets it out after a moment. Bruce would be proud of him.]

I'll stay sober if it saves me another life lecture from my fun-house mirror twin. How exactly do you expect me to protect myself against whatever poison that planet filled me with?

[He passed Iron Man with a shoulder-check (or the best he could accomplish being both shorter and holding no weight against the suit), and moved to the refreshments counter, filling himself a full glass of water despite how good coffee sounded right now.]

Any more requests, boss?

[Oh yeah, he was always this reckless. It drives Steve up the wall...]