❪ 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

[bodyguarding]

You'll have to try harder than that.

( okay, that finally gets a smile out of him, even as edged with annoyance as it is. he tilts his head forward a bit again, attempting to look ahead, lost in his own movements as he rolls the blades of his shoulders back against Jae-Ha. )

Don't fall asleep on me. It's almost there — I can feel it.

( his own small way of showing concern. falling asleep in this kind of chill is no-good. )

[razzledazzles]

[Jae-Ha's head stays resting where it is, but he lets out a breath of a laugh at the warning. He's concerned. And it's a good reminder, a good way for him to blink more firmly and try to stay awake, to rub his hands together a little more.]

I thought you were the one falling asleep, taking so long. Are you just telling me that to keep me quiet?

[He's not shivering as much as he had been before, but he presses a little back against Hak. He doesn't actually try to distract him, this time. They need this fire.] How cruel.

[bodyguarding]

( "taking so long?" he grits his teeth at that, suppressing a light chatter as he marvels at the audacity and impatience. yes, he knows it's teasing, but he's a little more susceptible to it getting to him with how worried he actually is deep down. not-so-surprise: hak is very fussy. )

Tsk, if I wanted you to keep that quiet, I'd welcome you to falling asleep and never waking up.

( he rubs faster, a bit more aggressively, feeling the heat between his palms rise. it really should be any second now. damn thing. )

For now, talk if that's what's going to keep you from becoming a liability.

[razzledazzles]

Mm...

[Is that... more concern? Aggressive rubbing? Jae-Ha thinks for a moment and fades into rare silence. Now isn't a time to joke, but he does it anyway. His own hand motions slow into nothing, his eyes drift closed, and it should probably scare him that it's only barely faking it and that he could fall asleep at any minute if he gave in, but instead, he's waiting eagerly for a response.]

[bodyguarding]

( he takes the silence as a form of defiance, however receptive he might be to getting some time to concentrate for once, but it goes on a little too long. never the matter, he'll just make a snide remark at him and engage in some verbal parrying and go back to being cranky about how exasperating Jae-Ha is, right? )

You're not dead, are you? My luck isn't usually that good.

( yeah, perfect. a remark that, if met with more silence, he will feel awful about! a brilliant plan by Friend Strategist Son Hak. he'll just continue to frantically rub, now switching in focusing between the smoke rising from the wood and attempting to listen for the sounds of Jae-Ha's breathing. there's no way he'll pass up a remark to fake-whine about how wounded he is... )

[razzledazzles]

[It had started as a joke, at least. An idle thing that wouldn't last more than a minute. But time felt quick and slow all at once, a dizzy blend that let silence and Hak's work mix together until he didn't know how long it had been at all, and opening his eyes again felt like too much work.

He would have stopped if he registered that comment, definitely. That and the smoke would be enough, they could joke, laugh, maybe he'd get hit. But as he forces his eyes open just part of the way, he can't make his thoughts move any faster than this. Like he's underwater, or in a dream.

He lets out a slow breath and a quick hum in his confusion, trying to communicate all of this with none of the effort. His lips and fingers are turning a little blue first.]

[bodyguarding]

( that's more than disconcerting. Hak shoots a glance over his shoulder, hurriedly and worriedly. ) Jae-Ha? ( the smoke rises more thickly, friction sparking from the increased frenzy of his movements. ) C'mon. Cut it out. ( faster, faster, he can't lose that imminent spark, can't lose his progress -- but he can't lose Jae-Ha either. he's always been lonely in Olympia, always been a stranger, and now he's found someone he feels something with, even if the connection is strange and strained. )

No way, I'm not going to let you do this to me.

( and there it is: the moment the tone of his voice wavers with emotion and an indignant anger at Jae-Ha abandoning him like this, a spark ignites into a flame. it's enough for him to carelessly, quickly turn his torso, grabbing Jae-Ha and cupping the back of his head in one hand, his chin in the other. he's seconds away from having the guy halfway resting in his lap. )

Jae-Ha! Wake up, idiot. ( he smacks his cheek -- then backhands the other, eyes widening a bit, his own fog in his mind clearing considerably as he sobers with fear. ) Wake up!

[razzledazzles]

[There's movement, and he feels something warm. A brief thing across his cheek... But then the backhand really stings, and his purple eyes open slowly, returning him to consciousness. It would all be very touching if he weren't wearing that perverted smirk that he is now.]

You have such strong hands, Hak... [It hurt so good.

The blue isn't spreading, at least, so hey! He's alive. And just chilling here in Hak's almost-lap hoping for another slap.]

[bodyguarding]

( while he doesn't slap him again, he does finally pull at that stupid mulletrattailponytail of his, yanking on it as hard as he can as he scolds through clenched teeth: )

You ass. ( and, with that, he'll give him a shove right back, pushing him down in the snow. there, that's plenty of moving around for you, Jae-Ha. )

Pull something like that again and I won't check before using you as firewood.

( never mind that he's quickly working on shuffling the wood to help fan the flame and spread it, keeping his back turned to Jae-Ha while he waits for his heart to calm down. that wasn't funny. )

[razzledazzles]

[He faceplants into the snow, sputtering and immediately shifting to push himself up and out of it. Freezing!! Ah, but he's alert enough to brush snow off of himself and shiver violently.]

Haha, Hak, don't be like that! We're both alive, aren't we? Look, you got a fire started.

[His words are still shaking slightly with his shivering, and so he loops an arm around Hak's shoulders, leaning close so that their cheeks touch. Hi.]

Were you really worried? Well, I did almost die.

[bodyguarding]

( hi indeed. )

And you would've been dead weight to me. ( a violent shrug of his shoulder, still refusing to meet Jae-Ha's eye. well, it's a bit hard anyway, what with that cold cheek touching his. he's determined to focus on this fire, pleased with how the fabric has helped the wood stay dry and how much more quickly it's spreading. the boulder is providing good cover after all. )

I couldn't really care less, but since you're alive ...

( and as he says that he's pressing a hand between their faces, shoving at his cheek to breach that closeness a bit. no, he's not blushing... but only because it's too cold for his blood to rush like that. )

... You can at least make yourself useful. ( with that, still staring only at the fire, Hak huffily extends his arm and holds out the blanket, trying to "bring" Jae-Ha in to wrap up with him. it's strange and random, but the thought occurs to him that he wishes Jae-Ha were a small red-headed woman, that way they could fit more easily... )

[razzledazzles]

[You get that traitorous thought out of your meta text, Hak, this is Jae-Ha's AU time. The tsun is familiar, somehow, and he doesn't seem to mind it at all. If anything, it's the offer of that arm and blanket that surprises Jae-Ha. He actually looks off guard for a second, but it's not as if Hak is looking his way, anyway. He was actually that worried?

Expression softening, he moves closer and comically wraps his arms around Hak's middle, hunching enough to press his cheek to his shoulder.]

Am I useful now? [He's trying to be annoying on purpose, at this point.]

[bodyguarding]

( this Hak has only known Jae-Ha's beauty, thankfully. having grown up an orphan in Olympia and raised as a carpenter's apprentice, he's only aspired to be a part of the royal guard one day. perhaps making it to General. he's never thought of things like love or lust or anything in between, and is ill-equipped to deal with. well. )

You're soaked. ( is that... a bit of sulk in his murmur? he feels guilty about contributing to getting him colder...but, on a pie chart, that guilt would be only at about 5%. the rest are justifications of why Jae-Ha deserved it. and well, he's resigned to how awkward this is about to be. it really shouldn't be, all things considered, it's for survival, and the fact that he's even considering the predicament as anything but natural is concerning him. exhausting him. he can only get pissed off so many times — actually, that's a lie, there is no limit to how many times Hak can get pissed off. his irritability is like a phoenix, rising from the ashes, reborn again and again.

cold hands move over Jae-Ha's to pry them out of their grip, but only so he can try to move them closer to the fire. he has no gloves, after all —— like an idiot —— and Hak's hands are in considerably better shape. the movement does occur with Jae-Ha's arms still around him though, so he's keeping him in close, and after guiding them to the warmth of the flame he'll be slipping his grasp away to pull him in even closer. )

[razzledazzles]

[There would be so much thought on Jae-Ha's part if he remembered a thing, but all that he knows is that Hak is his partner, that he's a good man who will help out a good cause and that's why they're working together. It's a little funny to see him so concerned, but he can't laugh at him now. As nice as it felt, he doesn't want to die out here.

So, he holds his hands to the fire like he's guided to, letting out a breathy little laugh at the state of his fingers. He'd probably lose them if it weren't for this fire.]

Whose fault is that? [About being soaked, but the more he thinks about it, the more Hak tugs him close, the more he realizes that he's only going to make him colder. One of his hands pulls back, unbuttons the front of his robe and slips it easily off of his shoulder.]

I'll strip. [To survive!!]

[bodyguarding]

( oh god. )

Is that really necessary? ( look, maybe only the... top layer is wet? he's hoping there are bottom layers? Hak isn't one to care about male nudity or even stop someone from doing something like this to survive. the action is clearly reasonable and essential, but. )

L—look! ( Hak's grabbing that robe to pull it back up his shoulder. this is absurd. why is he so upset by this action... ) Keep it on, idiot! We'll just shove something inside to separate your skin from it. ( Hak has to stop himself from sounding frantic as he begins buttoning it back up. ) Yeah, while the heat from the fire dries it.

[razzledazzles]

[That doesn't make any sense? Is Hak actually shy? Well, he could argue this point seriously and say that shoving something inside when they have nothing is just ridiculous, or he could just lean forward towards the fire slightly, away from Hak, and force his robe off of his other shoulder.]

I'll strip!!

[Or he might die? Or at least slow things down. It's fine.]

[bodyguarding]

I'll hit you.

( a flatly offered but hopefully surprisingly effective solution? he's pulling on his ponytail again...

the worst thing is he knows this is. what should happen. they can dry the clothes out easier this way by the fire and then Jae-Ha can get his clothes back on. but Hak is apparently willing to endanger his life in order to avoid blushing over a bad fanfic trope... )

[razzledazzles]

Ouch...

[He likes that, too, but it finally gets him to stop. So his robe is just hanging off of one shoulder and he's leaning back slightly to cope with the ponytail pulling. But with another shiver, he waves him off, sticking his hands back close to the fire.]

Okay, okay, but you shouldn't let your own clothes get wet as well.

rip i died writing this tag so

[bodyguarding]

Like I'd let you indirectly take me out that way.

( don't ask how this happened so fast or without Jae-Ha's notice, but he'll feel a bare (okay almost because he has bandages) chest pressed against his back as the rest of Hak's robes are bunched around at his waist. strong arms wrap tightly around the front of his torso, resting at his stomach, securing the blanket tightly against Jae Ha. why is it okay when Hak takes off his shirt but not Jae-Ha. )

i am deda

[razzledazzles]

[Again, he's caught off guard, but just a glance back tells him that Hak is still trying to warm him up. Shirtless? Really? He'll protect his own robes that way, sure, but isn't he facing the same cold now?]

Why is it that only you can strip?

[He says it a little quietly, though, admitting his defeat. This is warmer, and his shivering is still violent, so it's nice to have a blanket and arms wrapped around him. The fire, too... It's going strong. They'll make it through the night, after all.

He relaxes back into him with a little sigh, smirking as he does.]

Can you feel the fire from back there?

hak later: just retcons this to be yona.

[bodyguarding]

( because he's in control of the situation this way. he isn't sure why Jae-Ha stripping threatens that sense of control so much, but he's learned to trust his instinct and navigate a test of skills in his favor. he's calmer like this... ignore the rapid heartbeat against Jae-Ha's back. at least hypothermia won't be a problem when his blood is this busy. unfortunately when Hak attaches to someone, he's a bit intense, and without a certain redhead to anchor him... )

It's fine. I'm warm.

( he says through a shiver, but it isn't exactly a lie, just like it doesn't exactly answer the question. he's absorbing the heat that Jae-Ha absorbs... it works. he's warming up, staring at the fire over Jae-Ha's shoulder. this is fine. this is absolutely fine and in no way going to lead him to wanting to die. )

yona: hak that never happened?

[razzledazzles]

[He's warm, as in he can't feel it at all, he gets it. Jae-Ha lets his hands warm outstretched like this for a moment longer before he pulls them back, one covering Hak's hands at his stomach, and the other reaching up and back to touch his cheek.

There, take that warmth.]

Are we going to sleep like this?

i made so many faces at lunch while typing this

[bodyguarding]

( ah, there it is. come to think of it, this infuriating older man has been making him feel strange things all day, hasn't he? Hak bows his head and glances down, embarrassed, wondering if he should just...deal with his feelings by beating Jae-Ha a little. a strange urge that he shouldn't have. Jae-Ha has been mostly harmless. )

You shouldn't do that.

( Hak doesn't remove the hand covering his own, but he does pry the touch from his cheek, dropping it aside like it's a dirty cloth. )

Or I won't sleep at all.

I can't believe I fell asleep at my keyboard and missed this

[razzledazzles]

[Jae-Ha is no stranger to things like this. He blinks as his hand is peeled away, lowering it to join his other in covering Hak's hands instead as his face turns to angle more towards him. There's a knowing smirk on his face, but he's only going to press a little.]

Oh? My, I wonder why that is. Should we get more comfortable than this?

[bodyguarding]

Look. It's just important that we make it through the night, so we should sleep in shifts.

( he's ignoring that remark and avoiding eye contact, turning his own face away a little. )