❪ test drive: #2 ❫

[natha]

OVERFLOW POST

THE PROLOGUE     Many people in stasis seem to be medically sound enough to wake up, brother. Are the preparations ready to go? Yes, I've long prepared myself for this. Watching them everyday has been truly rewarding. ... Right. Yeah. Okay, let's get them ready to wake up. We should keep their minds active to ease the transition into consciousness. A simple VR program should do the trick, I think. I will boot one immediately. There! All systems are green. Their consciousnesses are linked. However, their minds appear to be too active... They may be over-stimulated, brother. Huh? How can that be...? Can we pull them out safely? Not from my end, no. This may be too large for us to fix alone. Do you think...? Yes, I think so... It will have to be done organically. Can you send out a message to our refugees? Of course, brother. I will send one swiftly. We must be sure to fix this before Darma returns. There is urgency in the Orbiters' request. Refugees currently in El Nysa are asked via mass message to please return to Thesa Station virtual reality area immediately. Zasere tells them that the next set of Refugees are scheduled to wake, but there's been an issue. On Thesa, refugees will find that the people in stasis are still apparently trapped in slumber. Most of them are complete strangers, but there's a chance you may recognize a familiar face or two. Normally, these people would wake up from their pods without issue, but due to a malfunction caused by the unforeseen force during The Descent, they have to go through extra measures to make this possible. Those in slumber require extra stimulation, something to keep their minds active. What better than a simulation of an area of El Nysa? Keeping their minds active requires an extremely involved simulation. Those subjected to the VR (prospective characters) will find themselves completely immersed in their new environment, believing themselves to be native Olympians. To wake up from the simulation, characters must work together to accomplish a certain objective(s) in the icy tundra. Characters in-game will be aware that this is a simulation, but this is good practice for properly interacting with El Nysa natives, isn't it? An AC-length log thread on this TDM may be submitted for Two (2) Natha REP points HERE. Please read the OOC note at the bottom of this post for the terms. PROMPT: WINTER CAME     The wind in the icy wasteland is bitter and frigid. You are wrapped up in a winter coat, but even still, the cold bites at your skin and leaves you yearning for a warm fire. Perhaps you're a merchant from the city, here to make a delivery, or you're a royal guard, sent to patrol the area. Who are you? The sky is the limit. One thing is certain — you won't snap out of your new identity until you finish a task. 1. Due to the vast diversity of the creatures on El Nysa and the fact that new ones are constantly being discovered, an important objective is to carefully chronicle different species. Unfortunately, to research these new species, they happen to need more than just a visual. More than just fleeting glances in over a snowy hill. Researchers are constantly looking for ways to secure... You guessed it! Blood and stool samples. The supplies for the former will be given. Supplies are offered in a small box; one per person. In this box is a small dart that will automatically procure a small touch of blood, and easily shaken off so the creature will be able to securely escape. As for the latter— well, they'll give you a plastic bag if that counts. Look, sometimes to get a job done, you have to get your hands dirty. Specifically, they seek samples from a newly recorded rare beast known as a Klep. Kleps spend much of their time hidden in caves, so hitting them with the darts will be tricky. They are also nocturnal, but you may be able to lure them out of the cave with fish as bait. When struck with a dart, you must grab the dart and escape immediately, as they will charge you, and killing such an endangered species is illegal. As for stool samples, well... Once you find a pile, you will have plenty of sample to work with. 2. It's cold, to say the least. Too cold to continue forward. Whatever you were doing, you must stop and seek shelter. Looks like your goal is clear, at least. Get warm. Not finding a way to sustain heat, whether it be seeking shelter, building a fire, cuddling up, or all of the above, will likely end in serious consequences. 3. You are stuck in a dilemma. On one hand, you are set to work for Olympia. One the other, you're not completely sure what is really expected of you, or who the man who gave you this mission truly is. You and your partner are meant to protect precious trade cargo for them. You were told that these were essential supplies for one of the outer colonies. They assured you it was mostly food. In loading the cargo onto the supplied wagon with your partner, however, you noticed something inherently off about it. The weight and even the sounds of some of the contents inside definitely don't sound like food. Moreover, some boxes are more obviously more concealed— draped in black sheets and reinforced on all sides. You've also caught wind of rumors that you are potentially being utilized to supply advanced weapons and other contraband to Wyver terrorists in the colonies. But what do you do? Refuse to make the delivery, and people in the colony will surely starve. Try to remove the weapons and only deliver the food, and you will be killed on sight for being too suspicious. Make the delivery as-is, and not only will Olympians die at the hands of terrorists in the future, but you will betray your country. Decide quickly... 4. There are many dangers associated with traveling in such an isolated, harsh environment. You must help each other to survive. Perhaps someone has fallen on thin ice, and requires a rescue. Maybe someone is on the brink of starvation, and you must share what provisions you have. When you come to, you will awaken in Thesa Station. All will be explained to you by Zasere or Sael via telepathic link. Your world is no more. The Storm has consumed it. We offer proof in the Observation Deck if you desire it, but it won't be an easy thing to stomach. We offer you a new life, in our planet of El Nysa. We just ask for your help in maintaining the vitality of El Nysa. What can we offer you in exchange for your help? PROMPT: STASIS UNIT     You have found the massive section of Thesa known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to access this part of Thesa Station, but refugees are warned that it may not be for the faint of heart. Here, in large pods that nearly cover every square inch of the space, are all of the people the Orbiters have managed to rescue. Your loved ones, your greatest enemy, your next door neighbor— you might find them here. These people are in a state of deep cryosleep. Due to the damaging effects of The Storm, their bodies are not yet ready to be awoken. PROMPT: GET REKT     The Orbiters have noticed that some of the refugees really miss their video games. The technology in El Nysa could be much worse, but it definitely leaves much to be desired. Which is why, after expressing relief that everyone awoke safely, the Orbiters have decided to provide a little fun in the form of video game competitions. Anything from old-timey arcade machines to state-of-the-art computers, consoles, and VR headsets (though you may be a little tired of VR right now...) is available, and yes, they have your favorite games! Enjoy PAC-MAN, Starcraft 2, or perhaps Dance Dance Revolution! Teach a friend how to play. Get unnecessarily angry and competitive. Most importantly, have fun. Keep fourthwalling to a minimum, please. Recommended playing: QWOP PROMPT: OMAGE     Upon receiving your mobile phone, you will be asked to set a username. Voila, you can now access the network! You can choose to send a message to the entire network, specific usernames, or you can try out the Orbiters’ service, Omage, which connects you to a random user. They thought this might be a good way for their new guests to make friends with each other... Connecting to server... Looking for someone you can chat with... You’re now chatting with [username]... Say hi! PROMPT: WILDCARD     You are welcome to write any scenarios in Thesa Station! Characters have been granted temporary access to the Observation Room, and are encouraged to study it carefully. FINAL OOC NOTE     Please give toplevel priority to prospective characters! Current characters wishing to thread these scenarios with other current characters are encouraged to create separate logs. However, threads between 2 current characters are not eligible for Natha Orbiter REP. These threads may be carried over as game canon if players choose! Players are encouraged to submit TDM threads as application samples, but they are not required. Please direct any OOC questions to the questions thread below! A TDM thread of AC length may be submitted HERE for 2 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS. Current players may submit their thread at any time, and prospective players may submit a thread after acceptance. Please note that threads must contain at least five (5) log comments from your character. A toplevel counts as a comment. Network threads are not eligible. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

QUESTIONS

[natha]

[theycalledmeacurse]

How are the refugees in El Nysa returning to Thesa Station?

Prior Walter | Angels in America

[priorly]

Wildcard: Observation Room.

[It's nice, in here. Pretty, with its pitch dark surroundings and delicate little blue lights dancing like a carefully orchestrated glow worm ballet. Pretty. It reminds Prior of nights in the roof garden of Belize's apartment in Brooklyn, in better times. Fairy lights strung wall to wall, lipstick traces rubbing off his mouth with every fresh sip of wine, Dusty Springfield floating out from crackly speakers and drag outfits discarded for - well, anything really. Anything except leisurewear. Back when he was healthy enough not to care if he was healthy.

It's a lot like that, this room. Without the fabulousness. Or the friends.

Though, there's certainly something of a differently fabulous nature about it. This is where the navigators usually work, he's been told. It's a privilege to be in here. Well, Prior's used to unexpected unearthly privileges, most of them unasked for, and he was prepared to be unimpressed. If heaven's not dissimilar to a sullen Tuesday in San Francisco, then how different could the sprawl of the universe be from the sprawl of Manhattan skyscraper lights, seen from the roof garden of a friend?

A little different, as it turns out. Sort of incredible, actually. He rubs at his eyes, trying to shape his fuzzy vision into better focus as he looks out across the vastness of eternity.]

"The threshold of revelation. It's pretty." [And he smiles to himself at the understatement. Some things, though, they don't make words for. Angels, Architecture, Astral plains.] "I only wish I could see it better."

----

Prompt: Stasis Unit.

[Prior's been drifting in front of the pods for what feels like eternity now. Part of him looking for a familiar face, and the rest indulging in a little morbid curiosity, enjoying the shivers and shocks of seeing faces completely alien to him in the most literal of senses. He's tutted over a woman with scales on her face and a serious need for an exfoliation regime, and kept a quiet distance from someone pale enough to be a vampire, with long canine teeth only adding to the effect.

It's taken a long time to find a face he knows.

He'd have stayed there for hours, though. He has to count his chickens, his small coop of friends and associates. Has to test the promise that they'll all be kept alive.

Though, now he's face to face with someone usually so vital, it turns out it's hard to know if life exists beyond the icy glass. All he's sure of is that it's going to be lonely, living on this side of it, alone.

He reaches for the glass as though he can brush his fingertips against the cheek of the man inside it. Tuts softly.]

Look at you, Belize. Finally getting a captive audience, and you're so underdressed.

[The hand half extended turns back, not wanting to feel the chill of glass rather than Belize's warm skin or soft breath.

Prior brushes fingertips against his own face instead. Quietly, angrily swiping away tears.]


-----

Prompt: Omage.

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with Prior ... Say hi!

Well isn't this whole thing a trip. And I mean in the figurative sense as well as the holy fuck I crossed a whole universe for this and I haven't been offered so much as a canape kind of a way.

Do they have canapes in space? Cocktails? Failing that, if anyone could point me toward what passes for a drug store for aliens, there are a few pick-me-ups I'd like to pick up. A boy needs pills and perfume if he's to impress in these uncharted social climes.

Speaking of which, I'm tardy with the introductions. Then again I can hardly tell if anyone's listening. Reading? I'm listening, for the record. My eyes are... not at their best. Though frankly that's an improvement on the rest of me.

I'm Prior. Prior Walter. It's lonely here, my friends are in pods and I'm in a four bed room teetering gently on the brink of hysteria. If there's anybody out there, say hello?

omage.

[gozen]

[The honest weakness of the message is what draws Minamoto in. She doesn't know anything about this person but her instinct is to offer comfort the best she can. Ah, what subject to start with--?]

Hello, Prior.

[She said hello as he requested! Check that off the list.]

I am Minamoto.
You went to the stasis unit?
It must have been a difficult sight to bear; if I were to see my loved ones in such a state...

[She doesn't allow herself to finish that thought.]

Where do you hail from, little one?

Ramsay Bolton / Game of Thrones

[veneries]

JUST A HEADS UP - If there's a thread you want to keep as game canon let me know, since Ramsay is still a pretty new character I'm not planning on keeping cr developed in these threads going into the game by default!

---

WINTER IS HERE/VIRTUAL REALITY

[There's someone here who isn't a bleeding heart type. He's here in the Northern wastelands because he needs to be, because he needs to gain favour in the eyes of those in power (including his father). It's just his luck that the work he has to do will take place far away from their watchful eyes, so he can get it done like he wants, then report back whatever will make them happy.]

VR-1: HUNTING FOR DINNER oh and blood and stool samples

[A few dozen feet ahead there's a klep quietly drinking from a half-frozen river. Ramsay and his partner are upwind, watching carefully. Rather than reach for the darts, Ramsay goes for his bow, retrieving a arrow from the quiver strapped to his back. Before his companion can stop him, he's loosed it.

The shaft flies. Within the space of a heartbeat, the klep staggers, an arrow sticking from it's breast. It takes a shaky step, then jumps away. Without turning to look at his companion-]

Well? Go after it! I've done my part, now it's your turn. It won't get far.

[No more than a hundred feet until it collapses, with a fresh red trail leading straight to it, if this klep is like the other animals he's hunted in the south. Sure, it's illegal to kill these, but who's going to tell? Also, he's hungry.]

VR-3: HOW IS THIS A HARD DECISION

[The moment passes as Ramsay and his companion survey the weapons in the black-draped crates.]

So it's not just food we're delivering. [Best to start with the obvious. His mind spins, wondering if his father knows of this, whether this is another of his tests.]

---

STASIS PODS

[On realising what these were, he'd spent almost an hour traversing up and down the pods looking for his father, his bitch of a wife, the Stark bastard- any familiar face. He hadn't been looking for these two.

A plump woman lies asleep in he pod in front of him, an infant in the one next to it. Despite himself, he stops to watch them sleep, then stays longer to think. They're the only familiar faces he's found so far. The only link to Westeros in all this unfamiliar and strange metal.

Anyone looking at him might think the pale and thoughtful look on his face is sadess, loss, sorrow. That's the normal emotion one would feel.]

---

OMAGE

Connecting to server... Looking for someone you can chat with... You’re now chatting with wardenofthenorth... Say hi!



This is all rather fantastical, isn't it? A large vessel, floating through nothingness... unrestrained by either anchor or tide. If couldn't just look out the window and see it for myself I'd hardly believe it.

Thank the old gods that those in charge of this giant metallic ship can be trusted. They wouldn't trick us by waking us up simply to put us to work for them.

omage | un: owl

[mistify]

You must have lived a charmed life to be so sure of it.

HARU OKUMURA | PERSONA 5

[frombetrayal]

winter came: one;

[The stool sample? That's easy enough to get, Haru supposes, if a little messy; still she's a little surprised she's been picked for this particular job. It's the blood sample that poses more of a problem.

So here she is at the mouth of a cave, peering inside curiously.]

It's a shame we can't simply ask it nicely...

[She murmurs, to whoever her partner-in-crime for this little misadventure will be.]

winter came: three;

[Making a delivery of food is all well and good. It's a necessity - but those rumors, and the fact that they don't seem altogether unsubstantiated, when all is said and done...?

Well. Haru mulls over their options as they make their way - she can't call it out as they're loading, after all - and before they arrive, she speaks up.]

We cannot deliver this as it is. You must know that.

[This is the hill she's going to die on, partner. Sorry.]

stasis unit;

[This is hard to believe, but... it's not the hardest thing in the world to believe. After all, she's experienced many unbelievable things in her own world.

Right now, she can be found standing near a stasis pod housing a rather smarmy-looking young man.

Her expression is a little hard to read, and one of her hands is clenched very tightly into a fist. Well, then. She lingers there for a moment or two, considering, and then lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding before turning away from it.

...it's fine. It's not as if he's awake, and even if he was-

It's fine.]

omage;

[Well.

Sure.

All right then. Anyone who happens to get connected to Haru will be greeted with the following:]

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with Noir... Say hi!

>> Noir: Hello there!
>> Noir: :)

winter came: three

[ownit]

[Dio just gives her an incredulous look. Must he know that, Haru? Must he?]

Honestly, I don't see why the fuck we can't.

Loras Tyrell || Game of Thrones

[triplerose]

[I: WINTER CAME]

The cold stings his face. Loras squints against the wind and snow, trying to bunch the fabric of his many layers up over his face. His breath freezes against it, making ice form on his eyelashes, and he wonders how he ever got volunteered into this. His body longs for warmer climes.

What he had thought would be the hard part was over. In hindsight, that seemed far simpler. The clouds are growing darker against the brightness of snow and ice. Is it night coming? Or just a storm? Neither seem appealing options to Loras, who grunts, and when he speaks, his voice is muffled behind his scarf.

"We need to get back to camp." Fast.



[II: STASIS UNIT]

The Stasis Unit is by far the most interesting place Loras has come across. He's never seen anything like it. Rows upon rows of fellow refugees, resting in things made of materials he's never heard of. It's awe-inspiring, in its way. His feet take him from row to row, up and down beside all of the sleeping people. His curious looks and slow steps mask his purpose. This is more than just a further exploration. People of all sorts are here, and Loras, who has never been alone in his life, knows he'll find a sort of comfort in anything familiar. It's more than that, even. Should he find a familiar face, or better yet, a loved one such as his sister, it wouldn't compete with finding the one person he's trying not to hope for.

A foolish thought. He keeps up his search anyway. The only time he pauses is when he sees a face that catches his interest, and he stands there wondering what sort of life they might have known.



[III: OMAGE]

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with flowerknight... Say hi!

Do you miss your home?
Some of the places these people come from seem so peculiar.
I think now I've been here, I don't miss mine.
Is it awful to admit that?



[IV: WILDCARD - MESS HALL]

To some extent, Loras is aware that he's not hungry. He can feel that his body is well nourished, that his stomach is neither too full nor too empty, and yet there's a phantom sort of gnawing. Something reminiscent of being denied proper food or water for days upon days. It's that which drives the fear of finding himself in that situation again - so he's going to eat while he can.

The meal offered him is simple enough. Soup, bread. A dark and stewy broth with a meat Loras cannot identify, though it tastes better than anything he's ever had. The bread is heavy and laden with grains and it steams when Loras rips a small piece from the loaf. Just a bit, he still has his manners. And then just a bit more after the first piece disappears with some soup. Then more and more until a fresh loaf is being presented to him. Before long, the soup sits forgotten in its bowl. It's likely that Loras will get sick from eating so much so fast, but the consideration doesn't stop him from shoving chunks of bread into his mouth.

Mess Hall

[veneries]

You ought to eat slower. You'll make yourself sick.

[The disturbing waking dream of snow and ice aside, it seems this is a brand new world. Ramsay's mind is already at work- allies are what he'll need if he wants to get ahead. People he can make loyal to him.

His smile seems bright and kind when he sits next to the blonde man, setting his own tray of soup and bread next to him.] I don't think the kitchens here are in danger of running out.

minamoto no yorimitsu (berserker) | fate/grand order

[gozen]

WINTER CAME (2)
[In all her years as a guard, Minamoto has never seen such a violent storm. It's yet to hit them but the clouds brewing on the horizon bode ill -- as does the dropping temperature. There's no point in pushing against nature. With a motherly smile, Minamoto turns to her companion.]

It seems we're due for a storm. [Her tone is warm. This new companion of hers is her responsibility. It's only right that she pay special attention to their safety.] Why don't we set up camp in that cave there?

WINTER CAME (3)
[Regardless of whether you know Minamoto or not, you'll find her hand on your shoulder.]

My, we've still a long way to go. You should pace yourself.

OMAGE
Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with Minamoto... Say hi!

>>Minamoto: Hello? Who am I speaking to?

[tightknit]

>> matoi: matoi ryuuko
>> matoi: if youre gonna ask me how this thing works i dont have a clue

Byerly Vorrutyer | The Vorkosigan Saga

[vorrutyer]

Winter.
3.
[ He knew from the start what he was getting himself into. He had orders, after all. Accompany the shipment. Find who it's going to. Report back. Get word to the guard, to the Empress. Just observe and report.

But when he'd received his orders, he was working off old intel. The armaments in the boxes (because of course he'd looked in the boxes - what, is he not going to snoop?) are far beyond what the reports said they would be. This isn't just a little lure to draw out the fishies to bite the hooks - this is stuff that could do real damage to the Empire. And so there's no question of what he has to do.

And so one night, as they're camped up on a mountainside, Byerly takes watch. And as soon as his partner is asleep - or as soon as he trusts that his partner is asleep - he gets up, and grabs those boxes that are just a little too heavy and a little too well-packed, and he wiggles them off the cart. And he starts dragging them towards the edge of a cliff, wriggling and dragging them through the snow, trying to be quiet as possible - but clearly he's not quiet enough. When he catches sight of the person he's woken, he says, his voice just a little strained - ]

Ah. You there. Help me pry this box open, and we can split some of these extra rations. Eh?

Out of the simulation.
Mess hall.
[ By has located the mess hall. And within the mess hall, he has located the booze. He's sitting on a table in the cafeteria, a bottle of wine in hand, swigging directly from it. When someone passes, he lifts it, calling out - ]

Ah! Ah! Come join me, dear creature - this vintage is too sublime to be consumed by one man alone.

Omage.
Connecting to server...Looking for someone you can chat with...You’re now chatting with a charming prince...


>>A CHARMING PRINCE: My, my. What's a gorgeous creature like you doing on a network like this?

@lordexplosionmurder

[hothead]

are you some kind of fucking pervert

Sanderson Hawkins | DC Comics

[granularity]

WINTER CAME: t w o

[ He should be cold. Any reasonable person would be cold. Everything he knows says that he should be needing both rest and shelter to get away from the cold all around him, but he doesn't feel like that's the case. He doesn't feel that cold, honestly. Or rather, he does, but it isn't really uncomfortable. But he can see that his companion is definitely not in the same boat, which has him putting a hand through the snow until he can reach the ground to see if he can feel for something, anything, somewhere to hole up. After a moment- ]

Looks like there's a cabin about a third of a mile that way and it's getting late. Make camp?

STASIS UNIT

[ He'd been told not to go in. Or more precisely, he'd been told that the site wasn't for the faint of heart, but his heart certainly wasn't faint and he couldn't really see how this would be all that heart-stopping as sights went: it was just people resting, in stasis. Nothing too disturbing.

Until he gets in there and his heart rate ratchets up, his muscles tense, and his mind starts spinning in circles like a dog trying to catch it's tail to find something to look at that doesn't make things worse. He doesn't so much leave as flee, and then it's a matter of finding someplace relatively private to curl into a ball with his head in his hands.

Dammit dammit dammit dammit. ]

OMAGE

SAND: Uh, hi. Hopefully, I'm not jumping too far ahead to say nice to meet you?

winter

[buildindreemz]

[ It just figures that the guy she's paired up with doesn't even seem to feel the cold. So she's standing here, shivering, her extremities starting to go numb with it, and she feels like a weenie because he doesn't even seem to notice, despite the fact that the temperature has been steadily dropping for at least an hour. ]

Yeah? Uh, yeah. Sounds good. Maybe a fire.

[ Boy, is she ever glad he mentioned it first. ]

Meghan J. "Valkyrie" Castellano | Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege | OTA

[blackeye]

WINTER CAME

2.

[The nice thing about deserts? Nobody ever got frostbite in them. Sure, they can be hot, and heatstroke is a pain and a half, but bring enough water and you're pretty much set. You can sweat your way through heat. You can't sweat your way through cold. It locks you up and sets your teeth chattering, and if you get sloppy, you can kiss an extremity of your choice goodbye, because out here...well, we'll spare you the details.

What's a royal guard to do? Not freeze to death, for one. Meghan'll finish her patrol before she heads back to base - her sense of duty won't even let her think otherwise - but nobody's moving far in this blizzard. She's got to get somewhere warm, somewhere she can still observe and report from.

When she turns to address you, her tone is clipped but courteous; professional.]

Stay close. I don't need you wandering off.

3.

[She looks at one of the boxes, fists clenched and teeth grit behind pursed lips.

You hear about rumors of stuff like this going on, but it's another thing entirely to be confronted with proof positive of it. For a moment, she's consumed with a blinding hot rage, enough to make her entertain - for a brief moment - the thought of trudging through snow that must be knee-deep by now to slug their employer in the jaw. Using her to supply Wyver terrorists? Over her dead body.

Sure, you can debate it until the chocobos come home, but when it comes down to it - the people in the outer colonies need food. And she'll die before she betrays Olympia.

Killed on sight, huh?

She'll take her chances.]

Ditch the boxes. Dismantle them if you can.

[She's already moving to unload one of the more suspicious boxes. Her tone of voice seems to broker no argument, but you're welcome to try.]

4. WILDCARD

[Hit me with your rhythm stick!]

[OOC: Meghan's canonical info/permissions can be found here, and the mun can be reached via PM for questions! Happy tagging!]

3

[strontiumdog]

[Johnny looks at her appraisingly with blank white eyes, and shrugs. And without further ado, tromps over and caves in one of the suspicious boxes with a well placed kick. It was at least convenient to be on the same page. He's no stranger to doing the right thing, even if it means a lot of trouble to head their way.]

Ditch them here? [He asks, over his shoulder, nudging his boot at the spilled contents.] Can't do that either. Cargo's too sensitive.

Jae-Ha | Akatsuki no Yona

[razzledazzles]

scaley cuddles

[It's incredible how cold it is all of a sudden. Traveling with a group or just a partner, he knows that they can't keep moving like this and stops near a large boulder, one arm shielding his face from the wind as the other rests against it. It seems sturdy enough, and he calls out to whoever might be traveling with him.]

Why don't we stop for the night? We may be able to start a fire here.

ugly delivery

[These are the decisions that Jae-Ha is made for. As a Definitely Native Olympian, he's a wanderer who calls himself a merchant, but more than that, he's a self-proclaimed hero to all women. Or, that's what he says when asked. Truthfully, he doesn't want to see anyone starve, but he doesn't want to help deliver a bunch of weapons, either. He's well aware that no one knows about his strange leg that even he doesn't understand, and it's a secret he'd have liked to keep well-kept— but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Well, it's not like he has to show his leg, anyway.

As he's set another crate of what definitely isn't just food down, he leans closer, hand resting on the top of it for a quiet moment as he thinks. And that's just long enough to decide that it's not right, that of course he's going to risk his life and do something. Unfortunately, he doesn't warn his partner about this at all. The poor guy who's job it is to confirm these illegal goods approaches Jae-Ha, and in an instant he's standing straight again, bringing his leg to the side of his face to knock him right out, immediately calling attention to himself. Only now does he call to his partner, jumping inhumanly in the air and over to them with a cheery smile.]

I hope you weren't going to let an ugly delivery like this go through. You'll help me, right? [Ah, but before they can even answer, he has to reach over to grab them and duck them both out of the way. They're definitely trying to kill them for suspicious behavior.]

get rekt

[Back to normal, Jae-Ha has a lot of exploring to do, but it's impossible to avoid all of the technology this place has. Currently, he's standing, hunched over a game and looking completely fascinated. He can't seem to get a hold of the controls just yet, as easy as they are, but his eyes are lighting up like a child's and he waves over the next person who walks by.]

Look at this! I can make this beautiful rabbit soar until— [Oh, he got distracted so it fell back to the ground and there's a game over message.] —it falls?!

wildcard!

[He's also all over the place, large and green and beautiful. Hit me up!!!]

get rekt; probably not going to app her but i'm logged into this account so you know what, why not

[cutefaced]

[The technology in this place isn't like anything else she's seen. Yona's sort of just wondering aimlessly for now - keeping an eye out for Soo-won and Hak, mostly, but she does have an unfortunate tendency to get distracted. So she's wandered over to the games.

And when Jae-ha calls out, she leans over to take a peek, twirling a few strands of long red hair around a finger.]

—is the rabbit alright?

[Poor rabbit.

(Also, poor Jae-ha.)]

Anora Theirin | Dragon Age

[solitaryrose]

I. WINTER CAME

[Wrapped in all her layers, Anora stands on a bluff, looking breathlessly out at the mountains. Her face is pale, lips white from cold, but she remains unhooded while she looks on. Maybe there is something of her father in her stillnesses, in how she gives each thought her undivided attention and dares reality to be any different from how it is mapped in her head.

The truth is that two husbands and two parental deaths into her life, she is afraid of making mistakes she cannot rectify on her own. She cannot rely on advice anymore because the people in her life keep changing. In their absence, they implicitly trust her to be fine on her own, so every problem must be worked to death, every solution must be perfect or there will be no one here to support her fall. And falling is an especially valid concern here. So every judgment must be weighed twice before she is satisfied that the potential disastrous outcome is one she can deal with without any helping hands cleaning up the mess.

After a moment, she releases a breath and steps back, gloved hands clapping together in a right, let's get going way.]

All right. An avalanche took out the path and we need to scout a new one. Come with me.

[Because the worst possible outcome is death, and standing still indefinitely won't actually keep it from happening.]

II. STASIS UNIT

[Anora has been in mourning for a year and a half now, for two different men. How many lifetimes would it take to mourn each Fereldan life lost to the Storm, if she mourned each one end-to-end? Mourning them all at the same time seems too dismissively efficient, digging a mass grave in her heart to bury them all at once. Until she can decide how to deal with the loss of so many, she will only mourn the one. Shoulders square, face impassive, back straight, chin high, Anora presents herself as a queen because that is what she knows. She is still a pauper, with nothing but the clothes on her back and the shoes on her feet.

Once, her life divided into careful valuable sections she could trade for things she wanted. That is politics, after all, and politics was her career. She had traded a great deal for the thing she wanted most--the good of her country. To have it, to be queen and continue her reign, she had given two units of her life: her body, and her father. Her body had already been written down as company asset after her marriage to Cailan, so marrying again, while not her ideal, had been a palatable arrangement. But her father had been cut down in front of her. It is a vision she will never unsee. And all that loss, the loss of Cailan and her father and her new marriage, those were all currency she paid in order to see a world better than the one she had before.

And now the world is gone. With it, all her investments. But the losses, the sacrifices, are not so easily erased as the thing they bought.

Anora stands in the stasis unit, gazing out at the infinite rows of sleeping refugees, hands steepled together, index fingers against her lips. She appears to be thinking, making a decision or simply absorbing this mass of new information. Whatever it is, it ends as she releases a breath and gives herself a nod.]

I can work with this, [she says quietly, the glimmer of a smile in the corner of her mouth.] I can make it work.

I!

[vorrutyer]

[ He's here to keep an eye on her. Such is his assignment. None of the others know, and he's quite certain she also wasn't told - though that's no guarantee that she's actually ignorant of who he is and why he's here. Still, he's playing the part of a useless, feckless traveler, someone dressed in clothes impractical for the weather and for their situation, and he plays it to the hilt. So when she orders him to accompany her, he sighs, and murmurs - ]

Must I?

[ But he drags himself to his feet and shuffles into line behind her, making a grand show of being reluctant to do any useful work. ]

Bellamy Blake | The 100

[jettisons]

i - winter came

[Bellamy has been working for the guard for years, and these are still the jobs he hates most—the scouting jobs with no real information. He's been sent with a partner to gather as much information as possible on a group of smugglers who might be out here somewhere, or who might be about fifty miles west. There's been no luck so far, but what there has been is horrible, crippling blizzards making travel nearly impossible.

One of those storms have forced he and his partner into a cave, which is doing little more than keeping the snow off of them. It's freezing, and they've been gone far longer than the mission specified. Supplies are getting low, and all Bellamy can do is hope they ride the storm out and the guard sends someone for them. For the moment, he's sitting at the rear of the cave with his back against the wall, wrapped tightly in a coat with his hands under his armpits in a desperate attempt to keep them a bit warmer.]

If this storm doesn't let up soon, we're going to need another plan.

ii - stasis unit

[It's just as unsettling as he was warned, but Bellamy had to see it. The rows and rows of pods are overwhelming, and for a moment, he just stands in front of one, staring. So many people. So many. The fact that they're all from different worlds is still hard to wrap his head around.

But soon enough, he pushes the shock and discomfort aside. He needs to see if any of his people are in these things, so he starts to head down one of the rows, methodically checking the windows of each pod, his back ramrod straight and expression determined.]

iii - omage

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with Blake... Say hi!

I'm checking to see if this thing actually works.

[Cool, Bellamy, how social.]

[gozen]

[It's one of the worst storms Minamoto has ever seen. In all her years serving in the royal guard, she can't remember weathering one so awful. Though the snow stings her cheeks, she stands near the cave's entrance, watching the chaotic event. With each howl of the wind she tugs her cloak a little closer to herself. No fire, with only the clothes on their back--

Oh. But seeing Bellamy in the state that he is-- she can't just let him freeze like that. She kneels in front of him and whips off her cloak in one move. He doesn't have a choice. She's wrapping it around him!]

You poor thing... don't fret, dear. I'll make sure both of us make it back alive.

Randall Flagg | The Dark Tower

[shooktheworld]

WINTER CAME: SCENARIO 3 //

[God dammit.

If Flagg had been in on this little trick, he may have found it delightful and offered to split the profits (after which he'd turn his co-conspirator into the authorities and take the full profits). As is, he didn't appreciate being used as a damn mule.]

Did he take us for idiots, I wonder?

[Because something was obviously off with this delivery.]

OMAGE //

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with RF... Say hi!

a/s/l? ;)

WILDCARD: LOUNGE //

[Flagg was a little bitter that his memories had been tampered with, even if it was only temporary. In the virtual world he thought himself a mortal man with a mortal lifespan, and when he awoke thousands of years of memories came trickling back in. It was disorienting, like a memory hangover. He tended to experience something like it whenever he appeared somewhere new, but this was the worst he'd ever had it.

He sat at a table, propping himself up with one arm, a cup of coffee in the other. He wasn't in the mood to really start comprehending his situation yet. He was somewhere new, he'd figure out the exact details later.]

That was some bullshit, wasn't it?

[Would anyone else here be as old as him? He had no idea, and thought he might look a bit dramatic right now if he was surrounded by young'uns. Oh well.]

WILDCARD: OBSERVATION ROOM //

[Now this was interesting. Although Flagg's specialty was magic, he'd certainly seen plenty of advanced technology in his time and was equally interested in scientific pursuits.

The stars, in particular, held his interest. He could be seen looking over them, giddy like a kid in a candy store. He occasionally stopped to look at one of the computers and try to pick apart how it worked.]

WILDCARD //

[Feel free to make up a different scenario!]

observation room

[veneries]

[Watching that vast black emptiness puts a queer feeling in the pit of Ramsay's stomach that he's never experienced before and isn't sure how to deal with.

The man doing... something to the nearby machine was a good distraction. He watches for a moment from the window, then walks closer when he realises he hasn't the faint idea what the man is doing.]

What are you doing to that... thing?

ariadne | inception

[buildindreemz]

Winter 02;

[ It's not that Ariadne doesn't know how to dress for the cold - she does. She's even got a nice cap to cover her ears. All in white, too, for camouflage, naturally. Helps blend in when hunting those rare animals they're supposed to be after.

But there's a storm moving in, and the temperature is dropping fast, with the wind picking up, and there's only so much the winter gear can do. ]

We've gotta find shelter soon.

Winter 03;

[ She's not normally a terribly patriotic person. She'd rather take the government for a bit of a ride than the other way around. But that doesn't mean she doesn't want to help people - citizens - and for the right incentive, she can be talked into it.

Ariadne did not sign up for this, however. She turns to her partner, after examining some of the crates more carefully. ]

This isn't right.

Stasis Unit;

[ Maybe she's a coward. But she can't bring herself to view the "evidence" of the destruction of her world. She can't. What she does instead, is wander around the weird pods, looking at all the people, searching for faces she recognizes, her eyes wide and her face pale.

Perhaps she's spotted someone she knows; maybe she's just feeling overwhelmed in the quiet, among all the sleeping forms, but she eventually stops in front of one, staring at it. ]

Jesus.

Omage;

Connecting to server...Looking for someone you can chat with...You’re now chatting with labyrinths... Say hi!

>labyrinths: Hi.
>labyrinths: I can't be the only one thinking maybe I ate too much and am having some weird sci-fi nightmare, right?
>labyrinths: Is it normal to not know how to feel about all this?

winter three!

[excelled]

[ On the other hand Lukas is completely against this ordeal. While he's a soldier of war and realizes that loss of life is necessary that is best saved for the battlefield, not defenseless towns. And coming from a prideful family of Olympians that have carved their very names into guarding their people he's not about to put them in harms way. ]

So you realize that as well.

[ The box he is carrying in his hands doesn't feel anywhere as light as it should be for a crate of food, and his mind races with the possibility of what could be inside. Despite this he only curves his brow, showing a faint sign of anxiousness while his voice remains calm. ]

I don't believe our patrons are providing this out of mercy... obviously.

Reinhardt Wilhelm | Overwatch | OTA

[panzersoldat]

Winter Came
1.
Perhaps there is nothing more embarrassing than wading through knee deep snow, acting as a personal snowplow for the person behind him while carrying a little plastic baggie. He didn't trust himself with the dart after all. So he's in poo duty. How far a former knight of the realm has fallen. But he has his mission and no task, no matter how big or small should be ignored just because he was above it.

Though it might help if he didn't go around trying to lure the beast by calling out for it with a yell of "Come out and face me, you furry coward!" when he reaches one of the many caves. If he keeps yelling like that, he might just cause an avalanche.

2
Reinhardt was of hearty northern stock. The huge old man seems to weather the chill better than most would. In fact, his body heat from his sheer size alone seems to help him. But it also makes thing a little more dangerous, as snow melts quickly on his great shoulders leaving him with wet clothing.

But he can't stop now. If you stop in this cold, you die. Anyone knows this. The once knight sets to his task. He looks for large pieces of trees that have fallen due to heavy ice. He finds a really thick one, nearly three times as large as himself.

Setting his feet he starts to lift the massive thing with a loud grunt. His back threatens to give out as he notices someone passing by. "Hallo!! Could you help me with this. I think if we use this as a center pole, we can make a very large tent!"

3
I WILL NOT!!

[ The old former knight's voice is a near bellow as he stands in front of the wagon, setting his feet. The large man isn't going to let the thing get past him without a fight. ]

I won't let this go a step further unless we remove the weapons!

[ Morally, there is no question. There is right and there is wrong. Smuggling weapons is wrong. Letting the people starve is wrong. His black and white solution is to dump the weapons and take the food in and then die a noble death doing what is right. ]

If you are afraid, you can leave this cart to me. I will take the food. I will accept my fate. I will not let them starve and I will not let them die. I will not!

[ It might take a bit to convince him otherwise. ]

Get Rekt
[ Honestly, Reinhardt is just mashing buttons until things worked. He's sure somewhere, young Hana is just cringing at his amazing gaming abilities of "hit the button until it does a thing".

He is totally gloating when he wins because let's face it, it's not often that he even plays these things. Heroes of justice have no time for video games. Why trounce fake evil when there is real evil to defeat? But he still won and now his poor opponent is replaced by a new one.

Again?

[ And he's grinning like a damn excitable kid. It looks really funny on someone that old. ]

Oh good! I was just getting the hang of this thing. We'll go as many times as you wish!!

[ Someone also has no indoor voice. ]

I accept your challenge and may the best man win!!

[ And here's one scarred up, beefy palm held out for a manly handshake. ]

Wildcard
Anything else you want to do with Reinhardt, perhaps stuck in a blizzard or maybe just watch the stars in the observation room with him. Anything goes

winter - 2 HELLO DARLING

[expendable]

This is... unexpected. When Ein was briefed on what this simulation would be like, he imagined a few different ways the scenario could go. None of them involved a large burly man big enough to put Lieutenant Crank to shame bench pressing trees in the middle of a snowy tundra. He's so stunned by this plot twist in fact that he stands there stunned for a few solid seconds, without the mental faculties to process the stranger's words.

Something... about a tent? Help with the— Oh.

It clicks when he sees how the other man is straining, and without further delay he rushes forward to help.

"Are— Are you certain of this?" he manages as he throws his comparatively negligible weight into helping keep the tree trunk upright. "Perhaps we would be better served searching for a cave—"

margaery tyrell • game of thrones

[tactly]

winter came ( one ).

( the winter air makes her shiver, despite the fact that she's dressed as best she can for it - almost as though she's used to a completely different climate. margaery's nose wrinkles only slightly when she collects the stool sample, handing it off to someone else to carry once it's done and happy to never have to look at it again. that was easy enough at least, despite the fact that she feels the need to wash her hands, even if they were covered by gloves and a bag - and they've been dirtier than this, on different jobs, but it doesn't change much.

it's the next part that stumps her, and she purses her lips slightly when she looks at the darts, and the cave where they would have to throw them. it's dangerous, especially with how small the darts are, and could end up with more than one person getting hurt if these creatures become volatile. )

This is going to be quite difficult. Do you have any ideas?

stasis unit.

( margaery had always believed herself to be quite strong, able to handle anything the world threw at her with strength and dignity. after seeing her first husband die, seeing the second one dead, and marrying someone so young it sickened her to think of touching him, she thought she had seen much already. but being told her world was dead, that she had been brought to a new one and saved is too much, and it takes her some time to process it, to accept that a storm had taken her world. it seems so unreal, so strange to think that everything was gone in a blink, and it's only when she sees the pods that she begins to accept it.

there's so many of them, sleeping faces looking back at her as she walks past the strange contraptions they sit in, all of them unfamiliar to her. it's discomforting, seeing so many looking as though all they are doing is taking a small rest when really this is an induced sleep, as if they have been fed too much milk of the poppy. she wonders if her discomfort shows on her face, if it's obvious she doesn't like this - though, she doesn't think she would be the only one to find this all so strange.

she wonders how many worlds exist, so different to this one. with the amount of people here, she wonders if she would be able to count them all, or if they are just limitless.

but she isn't alone here, the sound of footsteps growing louder, and once they draw near she turns with a pleasant smile, or what she hopes is one. perhaps it looks more weary, more confused than she intends it to be. )

This is all quite strange, don't you think?

omage.

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with Rose... Say hi!

>> Rose: This is very new.
>> Rose: There isn't anything like this at home.
>> Rose: I think it will take some getting used to.

stasis unit

[triplerose]

[ In the thick of it all, the sole comfort Loras has is that he is not alone. That somehow, despite everything, he's ended up alongside the one person he knows he needs most in his life. With the presence of his sister, he knows they'll make a place for themselves.

They're Tyrells. They won't be choked out by a garden of weeds.

Right?

He's not so certain anymore. He is certain that he's glad he's not left sleeping in one of these pods, and something in the serenity of them unnerves him. He moves quick to catch up with Margaery, not wanting to get lost amidst the rows. ]

Strange seems an apt word.

Slaine Troyard | Aldnoah.Zero

[terrantrash]

[WINTER CAME - WOULD YOU LIGHT MY CANDLE]

<sub>[The weather is unforgiving. The chill of the storm reaches down into the Terran's very core, frost clinging to the tips of his hair and brows. The fur coat he's wearing and the gloves he has covering his fingers just doesn't cut it - if he doesn't find shelter of some sort he's going to die. He can't die. Can't. The Empress needs him, needs to hear what he has to say, needs to be warned of the plot against her life. If he doesn't, who will? He owes her his, after all.

Slaine manages to spot a cave in the distance, and spends whatever remaining energy he has making his way to it. Miraculously, he manages to reach the mouth of the cavern, which is thankfully unoccupied. He's freezing, afraid to fall asleep, but whatever wood there is available to make a fire with is wet from snowfall. Shivering he sets himself against the wall of the cave, head tipped back as he curls in on himself, but not before rummaging through the small bag he has with him. Out comes a candle but the matches he has are just as wet as the wood outside. All he can do is sigh, setting the items aside, burying his face into his knees. No matter how cold he gets, he has to stay awake, has to wait out the storm. Hopefully (and he can only hope) it'll pass.]</sub>

[STASIS UNIT - BODIES IN LIMBO]

<sub>[It takes Slaine the better part of an hour to reassure himself that his mind is no longer prisoner to an all too real simulation. That said, the reality of his situation is ironically far worse than what he'd dealt with hooked up to the VR, and although he's warmed up and no longer freezing his heart feels as if its coated with a thin layer of frost. It's a lot to swallow - worlds being lost - Earth and Mars gobbled up by a Storm he has little understanding of but no mental fortitude to try and grasp just yet. All he knows is that he's alive and that Asseylum has been switched over from the tank Count Saazbaum had placed her in into a new one.

She'll be fine, they'd said, in an attempt to reassure. She'll wake up eventually. Everyone contained in the Stasis Unit would. Most likely. 'Most likely' wasn't 'certainly' or even that convincing, but Slaine will take what he can get - the technology here could be no worse than what had been available on Mars. Even so, it's a lot to digest, a lot to take in and process. He's not good at processing. He's good at compartmentalizing, suppressing and pushing his needs aside for her sake. Her, whose face was visible behind a pane of glass. Her, the girl who had saved him and who he'd devoted his entire self to. She was alive, or so they said, but she looked akin to a corpse in a coffin, lifeless, floating there before him in some sort of foreign fluid.

Honestly, it's too much to take. Not with the other knowledge weighing down on him heavily. He's not sure when he ended up on his knees, palms pressed against the cool metal of the pod, fingers curled in desperation. He's not sure when his cheeks became wet either, tears a physical response to the emotional turmoil he's feeling. If he could just shut everything out, turn everything off that would be ideal - but since when has anything in his life been ideal? A surge of anger grips him and with nowhere constructive to turn it he turns it on himself.

A loud, heavy, metal thud resounds throughout the Stasis Unit, courtesy of Slaine slamming his forehead against the front of Asseylum's pod, only to be followed by another one. Sure, it's not constructive to whack your head against something hard but it's all he feels he can do. Maybe, just maybe, if he hits himself hard enough he'll knock himself out and just maybe, if and when he wakes up, it'll all have been a dream.]</sub>

[DOUBLE TAP - CLOSED TO MIKAZUKI AUGUS]

<sub>[Slaine's not sure if it's his second or third or even fourth visit to the Stasis Unit now - he's been wandering in and out of it while on the station, after having iced and patched up his forehead. Regardless of the number of times he's been back here to see her it's only this time that he notices familiar faces. Faces he never wished to see again. The first is Count Cruhteo, a man who had beat him over the years. The last time he'd seen him he'd been torturing him, but putting all that aside...he'd been loyal to Asseylum. For that much he could respect him, which is why he passes by, despite the bad taste in his mouth he gets at the sight of him. Next is Count Saazbaum, a man who he will never forgive, a man who didn't deserve to even be given the chance to be brought back to life. Seeing his face makes the Terran's blood boil, but it's the face to the right of the Count that has his heart stop in his chest. It feels like he's taken a cane to the face as he looks at Inaho Kaizuka. His enemy. A boy who had kept him away from Asseylum, who had, at least in Slaine's mind, had played a part in ruining everything. He'd shot him. He should be dead. But here he is, in a pod, waiting to be reborn and brought back to life.

No. He won't stand for it. He won't have it. He can't. What if he comes back, wakes up, maybe even at the same time she does. What if she runs to him, yells his name instead-

Slaine's breathing is shallow, bottoms out as unsteady fingers reach for his handgun. In an instant the weapon is out, pointed at the glass protecting Inaho's face. He'll empty every last bullet he has into his pod if it'll stop him from ever waking up. If Slaine has any say in it, he'll never have to see his face again.]</sub>

[WILDCARD - CHOPSTICK CONUNDRUM]

<sub>[It's a bit too noisy for Slaine's tastes but he's fine with making himself as invisible as he possibly can, taking the tray of food he'd been handed with a quiet thank you. It's to the farthest away and most isolated table that he settles down at. It's only when he sits down that he actually looks at what he's been given - a bowl of noodle soup of some sort and a pair of metal sticks? Wait...why wasn't there a fork or a spoon? Were they out? Was this all they had to eat with?

Too tired and hungry to care to get up and figure out how to get said spoon or fork Slaine decides to try his best at using what he's been given...which ends up awkward to say the least. He holds one chopstick in each hand, attempting to slip and hold the noodles of ramen between them. It looks more like he's performing a strange game of operation rather than attempting to eat what he has before him.

Someone please help him.]</sub>

WINTER

[expendable]

[ Ein expected this to be more of a marathon, like their own descent to their new lives in this new world, but it turns out to be a much quieter affair. Fewer people, far less chaos, the snow drowning out and absorbing so much of the noise that it feels like he's the only one out here.

In fact, he almost misses the cave mouth, the movement, vision swimming with sunlight and snow flurries. Still, his training kicks in and he senses the presence of something alive out there long before he sees it.

Quietly, he slips into the cave. ]

Do you require assistance? [ Ein's words are delivered in lieu of a greeting, the question almost rhetorical as clearly help is needed not to die an icy, virtual death. He has a small pack of emergency supplies, which he shifts to one shoulder as he approaches the stranger, starting to reach for its contents.

Just like any other training scenario. Nothing to it.

He just wishes the cold wasn't quite so bitter, so real. ]

Precis F. Neumann ⚠ Star Ocean: Second Evolution

[rocketpunch]

i. sample collecting...maybe?

[Samples. Blood samples and stool samples. Precis F. Neumann, teenage whirlwind and do-it-all extraordinaire, would gladly accept these challenges. After all, a girl’s got to eat. And more importantly than that, a girl’s gotta be able to buy expensive ores and equipment. What other motive could be as pure as hers, right? And there’s absolutely no one more suited to the task, she’s sure of it. With her brains and her...well, she has some brawn...look, whatever, she knows she’s going to make it work. She's lived here all her life, even if she's never been to the mountains, so...it'll work.

Her goal is to lure these Kleps into traps of her own design. Unfortunately, that means lots of digging and taking advantage of the terrain...but once she’s done, she’s done. She just has to set up her tent, relax, and wander from site to site waiting for the obvious result—a captured Klep.

Her first trap is a tree well. By hanging whistles that will blow in the wind and food from the tree, she’s sure that a Klep will come by and struggle to get out. Her second trap took more time, but she picked a nice hole to work around. Near one of the caves, there’s a patch of snow that has foot prints all over it and a pair of her old boots. If someone were to walk out and try to grab those boots carelessly, they’d fall into a pitfall of her own design. Her third and final trap is a tree snare trap. If someone walks into the noose hidden by leaves, they’ll be pulled in the air! And then all she has to do shoot a dart tied to a string, collect the blood or stool, and then get the hell out of there.

Unfortunately, she didn’t think much of telling other people about her traps. But hey, what’s the worse that could happen? Anyone who falls into one of her traps will have to wait a few minutes for her to come by...]

Oh, wow, looks like I finally caught one! Let’s see...

ii. on thin ice (again)

[Telling where the snow stops and the ice begins is a little more difficult than she’d like it to be. One moment, there’s the soft crunch of powder beneath her boots and the very next there’s less and less of that...until the weight of herself and her bag full of equipment is simply too much for the ice to handle.

The crack is almost deafening to her.

She glances down at the ground beneath her and spots it. One false move and she and her bag will be plunged into an icy abyss without much hope to recover. It’s all her fault, her bag is filled with tools and all sorts of machines that unnecessary for a trip to the mountains...between those and her fur coat, she’d be a goner for sure.

She laughs nervously, glancing around her. Hopefully, she’s not the only one trekking here.]

H-hey, hey! Just so we’re clear, it wasn’t my weight or anything that made the ice crack.

[Oh. Also:]

Can you help a girl out? Please? Pretty please? This is looking pretty bad for me!

iii. the station is kind of cool though

[A simulation! She lived through a simulation. How cool is that? And exploring a space station is even cooler, dang it. Her mood changes depending on where she’s spotted, but deep down she’s having sort of a good time even if her world’s been destroyed, because...]

Man, I really need to stop waking up in weird places and learning that my planet was destroyed. A girl can only handle it so many times, y’know?

[She smiles at whoever has her company, though her expression is a little tired. Later, she can also be found in the pod room standing next to a pair of pods and laughing. She even twirls! Anyone who steps closer will notice an old man (who sort of looks like Jay Leno) and a younger man are in adjacent pods.]

I can’t believe they’re both here! It makes, like, zero sense, you know? Buuut...it’s also kinda perfect, because he’s kind of my boyfriend and that old man is kinda my dad. It’s like they’re getting to spend some quality time with each other!

iii

[notdrawings]

But, aren't people kept here so they're safe? So they're supposed to be here, 'kay?

[ Lymle has her head tilted to the side as she wobbles on over, looking over at the pods. The room is quite large and it catches her off guard that there are so many pods here, even if they did say they're keeping a lot of people here.

It amazes someone like her that they're able to do this. Naturally, she doesn't fully understand it and is struggling to even come to terms to all of this. ]

Rosalind Lutece | Bioshock: Infinite

[originallutece]

Winter, 1/2;

[You know who isn't mucking around with blood and stool? This gal.

It's one of the many perks of being a genius scientist on someone's payroll, after all: you don't have to do all the dirty work, not anymore. You wait, warm and perfectly content, for someone to do it for you, and then you turn that brilliant mind on and do all the things they can't, because of course you're one in a billion.

Or so it had been, anyway.

There'd been some sort of miscommunication. She'd rode out to collect her samples and suddenly there'd been a storm, and an accident, and the point is: she's stranded out here. The temperature is only going to drop, and sooner or later her body is going to shut down.

So: a fire, first of all. Shelter after that. Perhaps she can find some kind of cave, that might help, but surely what would really help is a companion . . .]

Statis;

[She's blissfully alone when she first reaches the statis unit, which means she can take a long few moments to stare at the man tucked neatly away in the more recently acquired pods.

He's handsome, certainly. Taller than her. But it doesn't take a genius to see he's Rosalind's precise double; they're identical, save what characteristics a chromosome can change.

She lingers there, but when someone else comes in, she turns briskly, her posture perfect and her expression one of brisk standoffishness.]

There's little by way of organization. Looking for someone in particular?

Wildcard;

[Rosalind spends a great deal of time here, going from one machine to another, comparing stars and looking at numbers and just generally being A Scientist, checking and doublechecking every fact she comes across.]

stasis

[yenna]

[ There's a bit of silence, enough that Rosalind may believe Yennefer was promptly ignoring her question. She's feet away, Yennefer's curls of black hiding the pale features of her face. She looks over one woman: fiery red hair tailored in emerald green. There's a bitterness in her mouth, one that teeters on unreasonable.

Her gaze snaps away. ]

Yes. And I believe it's some divine karma that he is the one hard to find for a change.

[ Ciri... always has been, so she keeps silent on that. ]

Looks like luck is in your favor, however.

Kale | Dragonball Super | OTA

[kaleorbekaled]

Winter Came - #1

[She's always been resistant to extreme temperatures, which is part of why Kale signed up for this task. She also just wants to make herself useful. She's hoping that she won't be a bother to her partner on this task. It's not like she really knows how to aim a dart properly, but maybe if she can sneak up on a Klep, she'll be able to stick it with a dart and then get away.

Or maybe she'll be stuck dealing with the other part of the task. Collecting the stool sample will be safer, at least, but also gross. Part of her wonders why they weren't given a scoop, but she didn't want to question her betters when there's a job to be done.

Far up ahead, she spots a Klep and whispers to her partner.]

Um...there's one. Sh-should we follow it?

Stasis Unit

[Kale has never considered herself brave, intelligent, or strong. Even when she was invited to fight for the sake of her universe in the Universe Tournament, there was a nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her that she was only in the way, nothing more than a tagalong. Despite her mentor's best efforts, self-confidence is something Kale has always struggled with.

One thing Kale has never struggled with, however, is a willingness to face unpleasant truths. And so, she made herself look from the Observation Deck, taking in all the damage. Now she's standing outside of the Stasis Units, looking forlorn as she looks at her teammates.]

Sis. Cabba. Hit. I...I don't understand. How can I be awake while you're still asleep? I'm just...I'm just...

[She trails off, unwilling to finish that sentence. Caulifla's told her to stop saying "I'm just", so the least she can do is honour her wishes here. When she turns, her eyes are downcast, and she almost walks into someone.]

Ah! I'm sorry.

Get Rekt - DDR edition

[People seem to be having fun with those games. She's never seen anything like them before. After the tears she's shed over her world, the games seem like a pleasant distraction. Provided, of course, that she can figure them out. The controls don't look all that complicated, but she's not sure of what she's supposed to be doing in any of the games.

One of the games piques her curiousity above the others - one where music plays and people are stomping on arrows on the raised metal platform.]

Um, excuse me. W-would it be okay if I joined you? I can go away if I'm bothering you.

winter came

[excelled]

[ Honestly the stool sample is the last thing he wants to think about right now. The blood should come easy, despite possible (unavoidable) chase scenarios, and he's more willing to get that out of the way before he needs to steel himself and finish their task with one hundred percent completion. ]

Good eye. [ He comments, lips curled into a small smile before he's quickly nodding his head. ] We should, but follow behind me and stay quiet, okay?

waver velvet ► fate/zero

[chickenhearted]

WINTER CAME (VR Prompts)

Pʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ Oɴᴇ [ Waver is a man (boy?) of books in the first place, so he probably wouldn't even question it that he's been given the role of a researcher in El Nysa's world. And what better role to take on when you've been asked to procure samples from the wildlife around the area. It's just another regular day for him. This is his life's work. Not that he's completely content about it. No, he's walking down snowy paths looking kind of disgruntled. Under one arm, he has the little box tucked for if he actually finds the Klep. On his opposite free hand, he's wearing a plastic bag.

That's right, he's hunting for poops. He's had no luck (or else chickened out at the last moment) in finding a live Klep to take blood from, and he can't come back empty handed or he'll be the laughing stock of the lab! He's already going to be a laughing stock with this, but at least it will produce results.

He stops before a fresh pile of Klep stools, crinkling up his nose. He half bends over toward it, looking around him. ] I can't believe, with my talents, I have to resort to this. It's unfair! I'm worth far more to the lab than this! They're just jealous..... [ He begins to reach with his bagged hand and swallows slowly. It's just poop. He can do this. It's so gross though.... and he continues grumbling about his situation. Maybe you want to startle him? Or help him step up in the world to find an actual Klep! The pile is fresh after all, it may be nearby! ]


Pʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ Tᴡᴏ [ Waver gets so involved in his research, he loses track of the time. With the day turning to evening, any warmth— and there was hardly any in the first place — is now disappearing. He needs to find shelter and fast, or at least build a fire. After looking around a bit, he decides there's nothing shelter-like nearby, and so he plops down somewhere that looks safe and begins attempting to build a fire. It's slow-going, and he's getting frustrated.

Some of that frustration may come out when he spots someone else wandering around in the cold. He double takes and then quickly goes back to his fire, willing it to light. After a moment, there's success! A small flame sparks. That's when he looks up and shouts out to the wanderer. ] Don't just run around in the cold, idiot! Come and get warm! Jeez...

[ It's a tiny flame, but at least it's something... ]

GET REKT

[ At first, Waver is wary of playing any games. He's a little upset about the VR set up they were welcomed with. But nostalgia quietly sets in. Can it even be called nostalgia? It wasn't so long ago...

But anyway, he can't resist the allure after so long and decides to settle down and play a game. It's a war game, about the only type he knows how to play at the moment. One team against the other. Simple enough. He wishes his opponent was a certain someone, but since he can't have that right now, he'll go with whomever sits down with him. He looks over and gives a smug smile, holding his controller up. ] I hope you're ready to lose.

OMAGE

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Hello? I know someone who would want me to use this, so I am.
Is my world really gone? Well, I can't say I'm all that disappointed. A new start...doesn't sound that bad.

winter came pt 2

[razzledazzles]

[All Jae-Ha has for warmth is a cloak wrapped around his shoulders, a hood covering most of his green hair, and his hand clutched at the front of it to keep it closed. He almost doesn't notice the stranger until the yelling, and that's when he turns and looks over, blinking in surprise before his expression softens. It immediately reminds him a bit of Yoon; he can't help it.

He walks over, rather than jumping, to conserve his energy.]

A small fire like this will go out in no time, won't it? [He's already warming his hands over it, though. Thanks!!]

Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)

[swordfish]

I. WINTER CAME

I can't believe I'm doing this.

( Spike was used to doing a wide variety of jobs, but this was almost a new low. Unfortunately, being picky was a luxury only offered to people who weren't completely broke. And Spike was very, very broke. He wasn't even particularly dressed for the occasion, instead just using some blankets to try to patch together... a poncho? Something like that. )

But... stool? That's poop, right? That's just a fancy way of saying poop? Come on...

( He tosses the dart lightly from one hand to the next, glancing around the area. He's procured some fish too, though part of him just wants to take the fish and eat it himself, forgetting this job entirely. )

Well, let's just get this over with...

II. STASIS UNIT

( Honestly, Spike really hated this place, but he found himself coming here pretty often anyway. He'd never admit that he was looking for anyone, but he hadn't found anyone regardless. So, while doing his best to appear like he doesn't care, he walks down the rows of pods, glancing at them occasionally. )

Ugh... what am I doing? I look like an idiot.

( He's not wrong, especially since he's just talking to himself at this point. )

III. GET REKT

( Video games? It's not like he doesn't understand their appeal, but Spike's never been much of a gamer. They just came down to coordination and reflexes, two things he had in no short supply. But being too good at something ultimately makes it rather boring, unless, of course, there's something else involved making it interesting. )

So, care to make a wager? ( He flips a coin, though it's more for visual effect than anything else. I don't actually know what currency they use on the station, if any... ) I'll even give you good odds. Two to one if you can beat me, and you get to pick the game. Sweet deal, right?

Uh, just don't pick that QWOP thing. Trust me, it's not worth it.

ii

[razzledazzles]

It wouldn't have been that bad until you started muttering to yourself.

[Jae-Ha is there, a hand on one of the pods nearby as he slips between them, doing some investigating himself. He's smiling, friendly and joking even with a complete stranger.]

Is there someone you're looking for? I may have seen them.

colress | pokemon

[discolored]

WINTER 1: BLOOD

[ there are plenty of things researchers must do in the name of science, and examining biological samples is just one fun part of it! colress doesn't mind getting his hands dirty for either sample, but getting blood does take a bit of a nuanced touch that colress doesn't quite have.

so instead of staking out a klep the proper way, he'll have some help from a partner. after some time of waiting for one to emerge... ]

Thunder Wave.

[ a jolt of electricity radiates from the magnet creature's body and targets the klep, shocking it and paralyzing it long enough for colress to walk up and shoot it at point blank range, take the blood sample and retreat with a brisk walk, magnezone floating behind him.

feel free to challenge or question his methods, but don't expect him to be apologetic about it. ]

WINTER 2: STOOL

[ were you busy stewing over the fact that you have to pick up some animal's gross droppings? not to worry! colress is on the case, appearing seemingly out of nowhere with an intrigued demeanor. ]

That's an impressive specimen you've found! [ yep, he's examining it thoroughly, looking quite taken. ] Very impressive indeed...

You wouldn't mind sharing this, would you? It is for science, after all.

STASIS UNIT.

[ there isn't much to say about the bodies that colress recognizes in the chambers. there are two of them - one is am imposing older man in a flowing black robe, and the other is a young girl with flowing pigtails and buns. at the former, his smile is amused and somewhat strained; the latter is just a bit softer.

he watches both of them silently, hands idly in his labcoat pockets. he seems to be thinking about something. ]

OMAGE.

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This is fantastic! An opportunity to access untapped research participant pools like this doesn't come very often.

I'd like to pose a question to all of you. What methods would you use to draw out one's "true potential"? Do means of force appeal to you? Kindness and bonds? Or perhaps something else entirely? I'd like to hear your honest answer.

WILDCARD.

[ anywhere else, with either colress alone or with magnezone! ]

Stasis unit

[fractaljesus]

[He's been counting the pods. Some are empty with the release of their inhabitants, but most still contain sleeping people of all shapes and sizes. It would be much faster if he had Kado with him, but the small cube seems to have lost most of its functionality, and thus he must count manually. No matter, he has nothing if not time.

He'd counted over a thousand before coming across the scientist, lost in thought as he stares at two particular pods. Most of the others already awake are somewhere in the varying stages of grief, but this man appears to be taking a more contemplative approach. More interesting, however, are the small red and white devices he carries on his person. The two in the pods carry them as well.]

What are they? [He asks without bothering with a greeting or introduction, reaching a hand out of his cloak to indicate the Pokéballs Colress carries with him.]

Ford Prefect | Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[ohbelgium]

Winter Games

A. Local Scenery

[Local shmuck and general do-nothinger Ford Prefect hadn't intended to end up on top of a cold mountain with a bag full of ice bison droppings, but now that he was, he really wished he wasn't. What was worse, besides the freezing, was that he still neeeded the blood. He had the dart gun, he had a visual, it's just he also had a terrible sneeze that didn't want to go away. He tried reasoning with his sneeze.]

Wahhhh- don't. Waaahhh- don't sneeze. Waaaahhhh- it won't end well.

[So far the beast hadn't noticed him, though his sneeze was still pretty intent on hanging around. He really didn't want to have to go trekking after this beast again because his nose wouldn't participate.]

B. Freezing

[It's cold! Cold as balls! Without the vast resources of the Guide to tell him how to survive, Ford has only a towel to wrap around his neck as he stares intently at the fire starting kit he was given when he went on this stupid assignment in the first place. There was some wood, some matches, and a man who seemed to think if he stared at the contents long enough that they might just burst into flame. It wasn't that he didn't know how to use matches, it was more a problem of the matches not knowing how to use him.]

C. Wildcard

[Additional wacky adventures in the snow resume. Who is this Ford Prefect fellow? Why is he in the snow? And why would a native decide to bring his towel all the way up there?]

Thesa Station

A. Asteroid

[So, the universe had ended. To be fair, Ford Prefect had been under the impression it was only Earth, which he was more than prepared to deal with. But the entire universe? Well, that was unfortunate, because he kept a lot of really nice things there. But he'd learned to deal with it with incredible ease, since there seemed to be some universe still left to muck about in. Only this leads him to a game of Asteroid which he latches onto with an impressive amount of skill. It's not that he's a pro gamer, it's just he knows space.

Expect he can be heard complaining every few minutes about this old arcade game's physics being incredibly unrealistic. This is why people who know astrophysics shouldn't be allowed to game.]

B. Stasis

[Ford, now wandering the halls in a listless state of just trying to be a hoopy frood on the edge of existence, decides to check out the pods for anyone he knows. In his hand he has a small electronic device with the words emblazoned DON'T PANIC. He seems to be doing a good job of not panicking at all, even as he spots someone he seems to know. He punches a name into the device and out it spits with the following:

Eccentrica Gallumbits.
The triple-breasted whore of Eroticon Six. Some people say that her erogenous zones start some four miles away from her body, while others claim that they start at six. Zaphod Beeblebrox, ex-President of the Imperial Galactic Government, has called her "the best bang since the big one!"

Even as it spouts all this out, Ford can only be seen nodding thoughtfully, even as he switches off the entry before it gets to the really inappropriate bits. The trick is that it works. It's something, at least.]

C. Omage

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D. Wildcard

[When all else fails, explore and drink. Ford, towel wrapped around his shoulders, will be surveying the area all while holding a strong drink in one hand as he tries to take in this whole universe of things he has never seen or heard of. Does he look bothered? Not at all. He'll be overheard mumbling notes into the aforementioned electronic device, almost as though he's making a verbal record of what he's discovering. In fact, it seems so much like that because it's exactly what he's doing.]

omage; un: Althea

[eoans]

>Hello
>?
>Is anyone actually there?

ISABELA | DRAGON AGE

[friendfic]

WINTER CAME:


2 with a possibility of 3: It's a simple delivery job, they said. It'll be fun, they said. Good coin. Right. Isabela may live for adventure, but not when it comes at the cost of her comfort, and no one had said anything about the route being so bloody frigid. If she had known she might have worn pants for once.

Not that any of that really matters at this point, they've stumbled into a storm and there's no going back or forward, only sideways into a small rest stop just off the path. It's very bare in its lodgings but there's a roof and a fireplace, it'll have to do.

Start a fire would you? I'm freezing my tits off.


OMAGE

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Oooh, this has the potential for some fun, doesn't it? What colour loin cloths are you wearing?


WILDCARD

Choose your own adventure!

[shashka]

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Sorry. Can't say that I've ever worn a loincloth.

[ in modern terms, we call them... boxer-briefs. ]