thisavrou_log | ( june event log )

Who: Everyone
When: June 20th and on
Where: The Moira
What: Something seems to be internally wrong with the ship! Caducus Secondary seeks retribution for its sister Caducus Primary!
Warnings: None for now. Please label your content!

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doors to windows
"Follow, and the universe will open where there was once walls."

With the Collectives now behind them, the atmosphere of the Moira seems to have subsided into the general daily grind of ship living. Shifts pass, meals are served, and the occasional tiff continues to hum in the background. However, whether new or veteran, today is not like any other day the crew have seen or experienced so far. The thrum of the ship is a normal one. Those aboard feel it, know it. In fact, whether you realize it or not, the pulse of the engine, its wings, and that of the Ingress is a constant, consistent buzz in the back of your mind and under your feet. Even during planet excursions, it’s almost like a pull to draw you back to the ship and ground you to the present moment. It’s familiar.

It’s late, in the early hours of twilight, that everything begins to feel off. The Moira suddenly begins to drift, tipping gently to one side and resulting in everything on board beginning to roll and tip over. So those in their beds may abruptly find themselves thrown onto the floor. Those walking from a shift back to their rooms or elsewhere on the ship will likely be thrown against a wall. The movement is drastic, but the ship’s systems realign the Moira within several minutes of the event. Anyone near the Ingress room will hear the Captains arguing with one another, and those that go closer will see that Captain Manessah is standing in the middle of a non-functioning Ingress.

It’s off, with no swirling light, and they can’t seem to get it to come back on. It’s clear to anyone that comes by that the Captains are worried, bordering on frightened by the fact that it doesn’t seem to want to restart itself—if that was even a possibility of the Ingress at all. They begin to disagree with each other on the best way to fix it, their spoken language changing to something that the MID can’t translate. Captain Thán exits the room in a rush, not stopping to speak to anyone, and the other two continue to try and find a solution to this problem. Not long after, they send out a ship-wide message informing crew that they are relieved of their duties for the rest of the week except for basic cleaning and cooking. Any personnel with experience in technology and matters relating to the Ingress are asked to come to the Ingress room.

☄ Turn It Off, Turn It On

Anyone who comes to the Ingress room will be asked to clean, repair, and examine the Ingress. The Captains don’t say why it’s urgent that it be fixed, but it’s obvious that they want it to be done immediately. Crew members can assist one another in taking the coolant systems apart to maintenance them or to suggest ways to fix the machine. After a few hours of steady work, that familiar thrum will be felt under everyone’s feet and the Ingress machine will power back on. However, both the Captains and the crew will notice one startlingly obvious difference: the moving blue light and energy has darkened around the edges. There appears to be a person standing just on either side but can’t come through. The shadow remains there no matter what anyone does, and the colors flicker and alter depending upon which crew member is the closest.

And like most things, they always come in pairs. Later that evening, a broadcast is received via Navigation that’s translated across the entirety of the Moira, both over an intercom and over the MID. While it is received as a text, a nondescript voice announces it promptly:

Greetings. We are sending this as a formality on behalf of our sister, Caducus Primary and its survivors. In accordance with our beliefs, the travesty that has occurred in the past must be made equal. That equality means lives given for those taken. While terms are unlikely to be made and agreed upon, they will be heard. A decision to flee will be seen as an act of guilt and cowardice. This is the only warning that will be made. You will be given time to prepare for our approach, People of the Vessel Moira.

With this message received, Navigation also informs the Captains, who then relay to the crew, that a ship bound from Caducus Secondary are within range and have made it clear they are here to settle a “debt” by attacking. Members of the crew are being divided into randomly assigned teams - which can be found temporarily listed in the MID under the directory - and encouraged to discuss plans to help prevent and preserve the lives of those aboard. Reporting these ideas will be the responsibility of elected team leaders, and a final decision will be made shortly thereafter by the Captains.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[All this praise. Normally, Peridot would be swelling with pride about it.] Nyeheh. Well... I did get a lot of agreeable responses from other frustrated crew members. We'll see if anyone actually does anything about it, I guess.

[With a weary sigh, she tosses a part off to the side, opting to start up a new category over forcing a miscellaneous piece into a set it didn't quite fit with.]

Still... I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be more logical to just... leave. Try to find our own way back to our separate worlds instead.

Well, we do know other planets have Ingresses.

Can't all be broken.

[She smooths her hands down her uniform.] I don't really have a place to go back to.

[Doesn't mean she wouldn't leave, but it does mean she's not feeling as rushed as other people.]

[Peridot presses pause on her anger for a moment to cock her head, frowning.] Why's that?

Back home, when I left... the people in the town I lived in weren't only tolerating the presence of carnivores that ate other sentient organic species, tyrants who made my people? They were doing it at the expense of other Votans.

Coming here was a blessing in disguise. My only friend had died. [She thought he was dead, anyway.] I had the decision to go made for me.

But that doesn't mean I wouldn't go. Where would you think of going to?

[She's going to take that question as an indication to not pry with a million questions and just. Move on.

She looks down at her hands, fidgeting anxiously.]

I don't even know, I mean... I can't do it alone, but Jasper's not about to come with me any time soon...

Why wouldn't Jasper? I thought you two were pretty close?

[There's a chance that she could talk more to Peridot, but not to many other people. She likes Peridot. Trusts her on this much. This, though, is a problem. Not Peridot wanting to leave, but that uncertainty she had before is at risk of becoming a reality.]

[The gem lets out a single, bitter bark of laughter.]

Jasper found out that I've been lying to her about my continuing loyalty to Yellow Diamond, or lack thereof.

[She clenches the machine part that she's holding, glancing down at it miserably.] She hasn't exactly taken that well.

[Doc Yewll's sigh is so deep it's a surprise the room didn't expand with it.]

Well. That sure as hell blows.

[She pats a table, indicating that Peridot should sit down.]

Alright, tell me about this Yellow Diamond thing.

[Her brow knit with anxiety that is entirely unrelated to tables or sitting, Peridot glances at the spot uncertainly. She thinks maybe she'd rather keep her hands busy by continuing to sort through the wreckage while she's talking about this, but...]

I can't remember how much I've told you... these last few months have been an utter blur.

[She sits on the table as indicated, posture stiff. She stares at her hands, fidgeting.] Yellow Diamond is... One of the great Gem Matriarchs. She rules over Homeworld, with direct control over our kind's military and colonization efforts. Jasper and I were both made to serve her, literally brought into the world for that specific purpose. That's how we know each other, we were both assigned to the same mission. She was assigned to be my escort on a journey to investigate the Kindergartens back on Earth which...

[Peridot snorts, wondering how best to succinctly summarize everything that happened after they first arrived. She glances up at Meh, a wry expression on her face] The short of it is, things didn't exactly play out according to plan. We got separated. Eventually I met Steven. You can probably start to see where I'm going with this.

Yeah, I can.

[There's a dark tone to her voice. An edge to that usually sardonic, empty thing she uses as a form of protection. Made, of course.]

I know things are probably different for your society, but being made and deprived of choice didn't work out well for our society.

But now you've found a new home and Jasper still has the mission, right? And sees you as a traitor. Sounds swell....

[And sounds like it's going to be hell for Peridot.]

[The gem lets out a prolonged moan of despair, letting herself flop backwards onto the table in a most dramatic fashion. She lays there for a long moment until she's able to convince herself to sit up again, pressing her palms to her eyes under her visor.]

I've tried reasoning with her, and arguing that, you know, just because I don't want the Earth to be destroyed by the Cluster, that doesn't mean I wish ill on Homeworld or anything! But Jasper's stubborn... Obnoxiously stubborn. And Loyal.

[Sigh.]

I just thought that, maybe, spending all this time together away from Yellow Diamond's influence, we would develop something of a trust, so that... when the truth of my actions came out, it wouldn't matter as much to her. The Crystal Gems are always talking about friendship and how strong and important of a force that is, and Camp Pining Hearts has preached the same over the course of numerous story and character arcs!

What's Camp Pining Hearts?

Well.... aside from that, some people just... It's tragic as hell, but some of them aren't ever going to get it. Or won't just by you talking to them. They gotta see how it looks from the outside before they realize what they're like.

Or it's gotta cost 'em somethin'.

[Like her own actions cost her the most beautiful, wonderful person in the world. Her own obtuse selfishness.]

( june event log )

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