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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #6 ❫
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YOUR STORY BEGINS  The Storm came. You remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that. You don't know how long you slept, but the dreams were short. You remember the expanse of stars and galaxies in your direct view. Every world and solar system ever known to man was present in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You also witnessed the Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. Your Earth and similar planets were assimilated by the Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of your world. That was when she told you what happened. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new. The details weren't clear, but you knew it was a part of a deal with the entity known as Darma. Not long after, you'll wake at Thesa Station. Your body is still cold; it all felt like a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't —
CLEAN-UP CREW  While everything has wound down significantly from the strife and destruction of battle, the frozen image of Ysverai, the massive, rotten dragon, and the hole he tore in El Nysa's sky, on several screens of the station is a constant reminder of what took place. New and old refugees alike will notice that prolonged exposure to these images will leave them with a disquiet that gradually builds to actual pain. The discomfort starts from a crawling sensation, insects over skin, and gradually becomes unbearable. They will begin to hear the cries of Ysverai’s pain and suffering, first whispers, then echoes, then wails. Even after Refugees tear their eyes away from this footage, a strange itching sensation remains beneath their skin for several minutes. The dragon isn’t a matter for them to deal with, however. Darma made it clear that the Natha will find a solution. For now, everyone is encouraged to assist in the clean-up of the cities currently frozen in time. However, in interest of the current events and the fact that the refugees still have much to prepare for, they will be offering this help remotely. Several stations are set up where refugees can remote control drones to map out areas and pick up some of the lighter weight debris. Those more well versed technology are encouraged to assist those who may be having trouble getting started with the unfamiliar Natha tech. It seems like it’ll definitely take some getting used to, though. On the bright side, they’re pretty durable drones so if at first you don’t succeed, press the next button? To keep morale high during the clean-up efforts, one of the Natha have set up large hoops around dumpsites and a scoreboard program in the control room, though there's no sign of any directions or rules to be found. That's right, you can play a mechanized version of… some sort of game while you're helping clean up El Nysa. Just make sure you don't get too carried away with competitive spirit! For those looking to pilot something more heavy-duty, there are also cockpits set up for remote control piloting of basic mecha. These are very similar to the VR simulations offered on the station. However, they will not work without a partner. To be able to successfully move one of these, two refugees will be required to connect their minds and pilot in tandem. This may be a daunting task, but with the extensive structural damage to the cities, it's a necessary one. Piloting will require trust and cooperation to make it through. The more connected the pilots are, the more agile and powerful their mecha will be. For those who can’t seem to get on the same page, coordination will be a pipe dream. PROBLEMS WITH THE SHIP  By now it’s likely clear to all refugees, new and old, that for all that they may appear to be infinitely powerful, the Natha Orbiters have been shaken by the recent events on El Nysa. The details of Ysverai’s revival were somehow obscured from their view, and while they’re focusing their efforts on the planet, certain… abnormalities again begin to arise on Thesa Station. The most prevalent of the problems plaguing the Station are the malfunctioning doors. Walking through a door that should lead to a bedroom or kitchen (or, for the truly unfortunate, a toilet) will suddenly take refugees somewhere entirely different and possibly even new. And while this may lead to some accusations of breaking and entering, at least these mishaps can be quickly rectified by an apology and a hasty exit. That is, unless the door refuses to open again — the locks also seem to be malfunctioning. Still, those that find themselves transported somewhere familiar, though off-limits, should consider themselves lucky. Thesa Station is far more vast than most refugees are aware, and some of them might find themselves wandering into a uniquely sticky laboratory. This area appears to serve no purpose other than to house dozens of slimes. These slimes appear not only in a variety of fun colours, but with a variety of not-so-fun abilities ranging from harmless (spitting bubbles) to deadly (spitting fire). Regardless of what abilities a slime possesses however, they are all relentlessly friendly, and characters will need to be careful not to accidentally bringing one out with them once they manage to escape. Unfortunately, that’s not the only situation to escape from. Whether it’s in the mess hall or the bathroom, many will find themselves suddenly rising off the ground. … with everything else in the room, too! It seems like gravity control is also on the fritz. Fortunately, most open spaces aboard the station have a small control panel that can correct these effects. The only problem is getting there. Hopefully at least one of you refugees took that anti-gravity safety course. SUMMER TURNS TO WINTER  The news that the refugees should begin preparations for a return to El Nysa may come as a surprise given that the planet still remains frozen, but it appears there is one community that has somehow withstood Darma’s intervention: an area known as Nadril where time continues to flow freely. Not much information is available regarding this destination, other than the fact that it is isolated, and, more importantly, that it is cold. (Maybe characters should consider the malfunctioning thermostat plunging the temperature to below zero in certain areas on the station as preparation for their upcoming journey!) There are other resources available for those itching to take action, of course. There will be a new supply pack delivered to each room containing gear meant to withstand freezing temperatures — both clothing and storage gear to keep water rations from freezing. Characters will also be alerted to new training programs available in the VR room that are designed to assist with survival in the snowy regions of Nadril. The training programs will consist of a variety of tutorials that will assist in winter survival. Naturally, there will be courses on how to start fires, find food, and build igloos to withstand the frigid temperatures, but that’s not all. Due to the Natha testing their systems, there will occasionally be strange occurrences. For example, refugees may experience a snowball or two pelting them from out of nowhere, or they may suddenly find themselves being cloaked by a snow yeti costume, amongst many other inconveniences. Hopefully that doesn’t detract from the lessons to be learned here, as some of the training programs can include extreme weather survival, including the perils of snow storms or avalanches. SOCIAL-LINKED(in) By some miracle, there are still some quieter parts of the hall. This may be an appropriate time to check out your smartphone. Aside from the expected "Omage" app, there seems to be a new one called Social-Linked. There, you may find a profile waiting to be posted. The app allows for the user to fill it in, but there is also an auto-function! upon pressing it, it will generate a shockingly-honest answer based on the Natha's observation of your history. Roman will be your only friend in this app, with his very own profile: STASIS UNITS  During this time of crisis, the Natha have done their utmost to ensure the safety of those in cryosleep. However, due to the nature of recent events, they will be asking some refugees to do a quick check on some of the pods in the stasis unit. While they are definitely looking for any damage that may have occurred over these past few weeks, they also seem interested in getting a deeper insight into some of the occupants. On each control panel for the pods, there's a new application, asking observers to add notes and commentary — the Natha are looking for a more personal understanding of their sleeping occupants. Refugees are tasked with providing evaluations of the sleepers, based on both their knowledge of those from their homes and on what they can observe just by examining them in their repose. The application asks for how useful you think the pod's occupant would be in a crisis, what their skills are, what their best feature is, if you'd take them with you for a long walk on the beach, and so on… And, of course, all answers must be recorded out loud. Anyone passing by could overhear these evaluations, flattering or less than. FINAL OOC NOTES
As always, feel free to wildcard prompts within Thesa Station!
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. New players may submit an AC-length thread HERE from this TDM for 2 Natha REP. In addition, old players who have not submitted rep for the Hour of Ruin log may also submit a TDM thread for 2 Natha REP. The due date for submission is July 15 11:59 PM EST. For this application cycle, there will be a cap of 60 and no reserves. Applications will be open on July 9 12:01 AM EST and end on July 13 11:59 PM EST. Thank you! |
(TW: brainwashing)
He lets her help him, though he's careful not to give her too much of his weight. Between the metal and all the muscle, he weighs even more than he looks like he would and he can take his own weight as long as she helps him stay balanced.
When he sits, it's with a light oomph.
"Who's Hook? Another idiot?" He's feeling alright enough to joke at his own expense, at least.
Once he has a minute to catch his breath, left arm curled against his body protectively, he straightens up a little and looks at her again. "I'll be alright. Hurts like hell, but it's hard to damage it and I'm pretty sturdy, too."
He remembers some of the things he used to do with it when he'd been brainwashed. He'd stopped bullets, dug his fingers into asphalt and acted like the arm was just an inanimate tool, but he'd felt all of it. Pain just hadn't been something he'd reacted to the sensation of.
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"Hurts like hell is all the reason I need for us to quit while we're behind." Emma doesn't doubt his strength. He's solid muscle with a metal arm, and while all of that will inevitably come in handy here, this really isn't worth it. If there's a fix for slamming your metal arm into a door, she doesn't know what it is. Instead, she reaches for a bottle that's sitting on a table with a collection of other snacks, forgoing the glasses sitting right there to hold out the entire bottle of whiskey instead.
"I'm not a doctor, but this usually helps." Maybe it won't dull the ache for a guy his size, but it's worth a try. Alcohol is on the short list of things that haven't failed her yet. And it's not that she's forgotten about the door, it's just that none of their other options are all that appealing after what happened to him.
"Might as well relax, the door's probably going to open when we least expect it to. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but this place sucks, so I wouldn't be surprised."
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He wants to tell her, but instead he takes the bottle, uncaps it and knocks back a swig. Because he likes the taste and there's a dull ache up his entire left side.
"I just woke up a few days ago, but I'm getting that distinct impression." It's a commiserating statement and one he makes with conscious effort. All in all, it's not the worst situation he's been in, not by a long shot, but he doesn't need to tell anyone that. For all he knows, it's going to get worse, but right now, being here has vastly improved his current life situation. That's probably a grim thought for most people.
He takes another swig, enjoying the little burn in his throat for a moment before he offers the bottle back. "Thanks."
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Either the Natha will take care of the curse, like they said they would, they're going to have to fight the dragon and sort out this new, threatening force. Needless to say, she's not really looking forward to it.
"At least you seem... prepared for it." Trying to force his way out with a metal arm says he might have some combat experience. Unless everyone else in his version of Brooklyn has one of those, he's probably some kind of - "I know you said you're from Brooklyn, but when are you from?" She reaches for the bottle, eyes a little brighter with the thought that's just occurred to her. There are other versions of New York, she's already heard as much, but she's known a few New Yorkers here, too.
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"It's complicated. It was 2016 before I woke up, but that's not, uh... I was born in 1917." She has magic and dragons in her life. Maybe she'll understand a few missing years. He can sell himself as sleeping beauty, right? All he needed was a charming Captain to come along and punch some sense into him and here he is, awake and everything.
"What about you?"
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If he's selling himself as Sleeping Beauty with Captain America as his Prince Charming, it's a pretty easy sell. Steve's the only guy she's ever met who could give her father a run for his money. "You're ahead of me and behind me. It was 2012 before I woke up. I was born in a place called the Enchanted Forest, but I was sent through a portal when I was born. Ended up in Boston."
She'll buy missing years if he buys portals that drop babies off in Boston. If she thinks about it for too long, she might be asking more of him than he is of her. Lately, it's just seemed more important to be honest than to keep up the act of being normal. Saves her the awkwardness of surprising her friends with magic and fairytales later on if they know that going in.
"Do you have friends here? You're not the first New Yorker I've run into - not even the first who's aged well."
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"Boston's no Brooklyn, but it's alright." He's trying to be good here, but if she wasn't a pretty woman, he'd probably give a less positive opinion of Boston. It really isn't Brooklyn.
"I got a couple friends here." Not that he knows every New Yorker, thanks, but he does know the most important one. "Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter."
And sure, Peggy's not a New Yorker, but she's Bucky's friend and he's absolutely sure that she'll yell at him if he says otherwise, so he wouldn't dream of it. You don't piss off the woman who invites you to sleep on her couch just because she's shacking up with your best friend. That woman's a real keeper. He'll sock Steve himself if he doesn't get that.
He knows a few other people, too, but he's not sure he can count his and Romanoff's agreement to stop shooting at each other as a friendship.
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A drink soothes that thought, and she passes the bottle back to him in case he feels like going back for seconds. There's a glance spared towards the door, but Emma's learned that this place is at least as stubborn as she is. It's not worth the effort right now.
Besides, the mention of Steve and Peggy helps her to make sense of what he's shared with her. She's seen the sketches in their apartment, and listened to Peggy explain Steve's ability to draw Brooklyn from memory. If there wasn't a connection, she'd be a little disappointed.
With one, she brightens at the mention. It's good for him to have a few people here to help him adjust to being awake, and good for them to have another friend out of stasis. "If you're lucky enough to have friends here, those are the two to have. They've been good to me." It's almost a confession when she adds, "I think sometimes my past tests the limits of what even they are willing to believe, but they made me feel welcome here when I was on my own."
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That she speaks highly of them says a lot about her, too. It's a ringing endorsement, really.
"Yeah, that sounds like them." He shakes his head. "Steve's always been like that."
He takes another drink, but then he puts the cap back on. Drinking all of her alcohol isn't going to do either of them any favors.
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"Wait until you see their place. At first I thought it was the decor that made it feel so inviting, but honestly? I think it's just them. They've made a home for themselves in Olympia."
It's all in how they talk about each other; Steve learning to cook for Peggy, her admitting no one knows what love is until it hits them. They found each other after the end of the world, and then they built something out of all of this.
She's a little stuck on his always at the moment. It implies a history that brings the light back into his eyes. "Did you and Steve grow up together?"
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"We did, yeah." He scratches the stubble at his jaw absently. "Been my best friend since we were kids."
Bucky can't remember a life without Steve Rogers in it. He's been following Steve into trouble since before he knew why it was a bad idea. Peggy had come later, but he'd seen the way Steve had looked at her and the way she'd looked at him, too. He'd said he'd only needed one woman and Peggy had clearly been it.
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"I'm glad that the three of you have each other. This place takes as much as it gives sometimes, but the best way to move forward here is to know you have someone in your corner."
There's meaning in her words, but she sidesteps the specifics with the understanding that a new refugee probably isn't ready to hear them. It's a quieter confession than some of the others; maybe it's now officially easier to be a fairytale savior than to talk about everything they've gone through here. She still misses the promise of happily ever after, which is almost funny for a woman who never really bought into it before.
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"Slamming into things was usually Steve's job. Mine was to makes sure they didn't slam him back too hard." He smiles a little sadly. These days, Steve's the one protecting him.
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She's sure all three of them are capable of taking care of themselves, but Emma always said (and meant) the same thing about herself. When she'd first arrived in Storybrooke, she'd done what she could to look out for Mary Margaret, only for her to become a badass bandit when her memory returned. Changing dynamics are something she knows a little about, especially after the person she considered her best friend turned out to be her mom.
"Everything here slams back too hard." Including that door that caused all of this. She gets to her feet, starting for the door to give it another try. And, with this newfound knowledge about who he is, turns back after a second - "Just so you know, you're done slamming things for the day. I'd like to send you back to Steve and Peggy in one piece." She'll try the door, he can stay seated.
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In fact, he might just be watching her with an amused smile on his face.
"Too late for that. I'm already missing an arm." But he's still Bucky.
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Not only does it open, it even leads to the other sleeping quarters, just like she's expecting it to. "Looks like the Natha have decided to give you back your freedom." Malfunctioning doors? Yeah right, they do shit on purpose.