xistentia | Mingle Log #1: Landmarks of Xistentia

Mingle Log #1: Landmarks of Xistentia

Characters: All characters who opt in
Summary: A party to mark the first wave of incoming characters in Xistentia, punctuated with weird physics and an unexpected trip to the heart (or mind) of F.A.T.E.S.
Date(s): Late May 2017
Warnings/Notes: Sexual content and other potentially offensive or triggering material to be noted in headers.

Mix and Mingle

Landmarks of Xistentia

It starts with the daemons, because of course it does. At sunset, they begin to ring and beep and urge you to follow directions through the city. For those with animate daemons, be they animals or people, the programs are even more intrusive. Pushing and pawing and urging you to get up and go. The destination is not far from the first reclaimed parts of the city— a tall tower covered in overgrown moss and trees, located near the beach, the Westernmost edge of the city. Even with the chaos of vegetation growing over it, it's clear that the building is a miracle of technology and style.

"Connection is essential," the daemon tells you. "However, genital contact is not required."

You have reached the Central Citadel, and it's time to party!

EARLY BIRDS

But F.A.T.E.S. is as susceptible to peer pressure and trendy trends as anyone else! Early birds will find that the atrium lounge is a true mess at first. Birds nesting in the ceiling, thorn plants all across the floors, and the bottles and cups at the white bar are empty. As parties go, this sucks. However, within a few minutes of the first arrivals, changes begin to overcome the club area visibly. It is exactly the same as the way the city has begun to accommodate the visitors, but far more accelerated. Soon, the lights begin to power on, filling the room with ambient illumination. Plants recede, but do not disappear entirely. High above, the ceiling suddenly morphs to display the starry night sky. And most importantly of all, there's booze.

With any luck, someone around here knows how to bartend, because F.A.T.E.S sure does not. Various liquors from across the multiverse are available, along with drink umbrellas, speared olives, mixers and wedges of fruit. However, the cocktails that automatically fill the glasses vary in taste from acceptable to horrific. Luckily, the bar does not keep anyone out.

FASHIONABLY LATE

If you're more than thirty minutes late, the kinks have worked themselves out. The party is now in full swing. F.A.T.E.S. has surrendered drink mixing duty to various refugees^[1], resulting in much more palatable alcoholic beverages. Someone even found chicken fingers, which are making the rounds.

However, it appears that the invisible supercomputer is still trying to DJ. Predictably, the music ranges wildly based on the listeners-- one moment, you have 17th century lute music; the next, Trance. Blink 182 may even make a brief auditory appearance. It is not particularly easy to dance to this nightmarishly incoherent soundtrack, but it does provide a cross-section of multiversal experiences, for those of us who care about that kind of thing.

Alternatively, you can explore. The Central Citadel is filled with odd rooms. In the presence of only one or two explorers, the tidying effect doesn't happen nearly as quickly. Characters may find jungle-eaten conference spaces, computer laboratories, or even more sophisticated situation rooms thronged with vines and flowers. Somehow, the screens and monitors seem to work just fine with blossoms poking out of the harddrives. Rooms with beds are available as well, some of them already pre-carpeted with romantic roses. You might also find your way into a gym, where slightly rotted bokken and a dusty boxing ring nonetheless make for an interesting way to meet people who aren't into roses and laptops.

BONUS ADVENTURE: THE TEMPLE

Characters who meet new CR at the Citadel have a special experience. When the two (or more) individuals get to talking, their daemons both abruptly interrupt with a very important, not at all loaded question. "Do you want to see something cool?" If the daemon was too big to come inside, the question is posed via earpiece or whatever other device.

The correct answer is "Yes." And with that, the characters are abruptly transported to The Telexistence Temple, on the Easternmost edge of the city. The sudden quiet seems deafening; the darkness is almost blinding before one's eyes adjust to the lines of light running through the tall stone walls. It is much cooler here than it was at the Central Citadel, but it has its own eerie dignity.

"In the future, this is where you may access information about your worlds. Recovery information, save points, and both passive and active world entry points are located here." A beat. Possibly the daemon is watching you stumble around. "Most of the tools have been disabled in order to prevent damage from inebriated users."

However, two pieces of technology continue to cooperate. First, a huge slab of glossy black stone the height of a desk, emitting holographic Head Up Display upward, the Chronological Cartographer. Your character must touch the device. Immediately then, a bright flowing diagram of data begins to spin through the air, whirling with lines and circles and familiar names. It is a chart of the worlds your characters have lived in before and the people they have met in the past timeline. The splitting point to Xistentia is clearly marked, and your future here is a red line wavering in darkness. Toy with it a little, and you'll even be able to pull up significant dates, friendships, enemies. Moments of transformation. F.A.T.E.S. remembers it all, and it is only a quick teleport from the Citadel. (Fortunately, it is also a quick teleport back.)

Second, there is a monitor with another HUD. It displays a HUD with a single prompt: Amenities needed?^[2]

Starting the next day, the Temple will be accessible to all characters at all hours. Those granted access the night before will be able to find their way back with companions.

Footnotes

Some may be NPCs! Please avoid killing or maiming them without mod discussion first.
Go here and fill out the form, reply to that comment, if your character is going to take F.A.TE.S. up on the amenities request.

Threaded | Flat

i. before (closed to Adam Parrish)

[ The apartment that Chainsawd leads Ronan to is - for a lack of a better word, overwhelming. The building is looking barely standing from the outside, overrun with vegetation, while the inside feels just like a jungle, and for a moment, Ronan just feels - angry. It flares up inside of him, a bush fire where his feelings keep being fed in as fuel, turning it even more furious. Why is Chainsawd taking him here? Is he supposed to live here?

It's only when he steps into the loft proper that the anger dies out, replaced by something that's close to wonder. Here, the vegetation is still prominent, but it allows for some of the brick walls to show through, the windows clear and massive, letting the light in abundantly. There is some furniture - mismatched, cozy, a little messy, strewn around somewhat haphazardly, with vine curling around the legs of a coffee table, flowers growing in the kitchen sink.

It hits him like a punch to the gut - this place makes him feel like he's stepped into somewhere that's half Monmouth, half the Barns, with Cabeswater growing between the cracks. ]

Chainsawd, what is this place? [ His voice is loud in the eerie quiet of the loft. When there's a noise, coming from a section off area, Ronan creeps towards it slowly, worried that he's made his presence known by talking out loud. His fists are clenched, ready for a swing, but he stops dead in his tracks when he turns around the corner. ]

Adam?

ii. early party time (open)

[ It's surprising to Ronan that they don't arrive much later to the party, but when they do make it, Chainsawd and Barricaded almost pushing them forward, the whole place is... well, it's basically just as rundown as the loft, and there's barely anything happening, and Ronan wants to laugh, for a second. He wants to mock this farce of a party, let his bitterness bleed through his smirk.

What he does, instead, is pull up to the bar. He gives Adam a brief look and reaches out to squeeze his hand, just for a split second, before he's off, stalking through the room with a purpose, shoulders straight and head held high. He doesn't look at anyone around him, even as he brushes shoulders, letting his disinterest wrap around him like a piece of armor as he keeps walking.

Getting to the bar, he leans over it, feet leaving the floor as he bends to spot a bottle of scotch, of whiskey, of vodka, of - anything. Even if this place isn't a free-for-all, he's going to fucking make it, and feel free to try and tell him otherwise. ]

iii. later party time (open)

Let me say - this party is going to keep sucking until we get the Murder Squash song.

[ A pause. Ronan takes another swig of whiskey. ]

Maybe I should DJ.

[ That - that would be a terrible idea. Don't let him. ]

iv. exploring the citadel (open)

[ Ronan isn't entirely sure how he ended up where he is. Where he is isn't exactly defined, either - a corridor of some kind, dark and endless, with doors leading to so many mysteries he isn't sure even the most curious parts of his mind can take it.

There are noises; creaking, inhuman noises, like the building itself is rearranging things, unable to do it without sounding like a straight up horror movie product. Ronan suddenly wishes he could fall asleep right here and now, just for a moment, to pull up a knife, or some brass knuckles - something better to defend himself than just his fists, as good as they are.

This place reminds Ronan of dreams. There's something surreal about it, like he could carve his story just by brushing his fingers against the walls. There's still a hope beating in his heart that he's going to walk into a room and find Gansey here, his glasses askew as he contemplates whatever monstrosity this place as in store for him with awe and wonder.

So Ronan steps into a room. Any room, the first room with an open door, his heart beating hard in his throat. ]

Is someone here?

v. wildcard

(( happy to plot anything, PM or find me here: ellievolia.

Also, will match brackets or prose, no preferences here. ))

Edited 2017-06-01 11:25 (UTC)

I; Early Birds (Closed to Vanyel)

[ When Apollod starts beeping and booping her with her with his wet nose to go through the city, she admits she's curious. A little annoyed too because she'd been half-way to the bone zone with her boyfriend but there'll be plenty more time for that considering they're (tentatively) living together. Right now it's time for adventure! Apparently! Once she's dressed appropriately again, she allows Apollod and Zeymahd to guide the way to The Central Citadel. ]

Woah, dude, check it out, [ she says to Vanyel as she steps into the Atrium Lounge. A mess it might be though that actually makes it all the more interesting to Rose. From their additional presence, her sensitive ears pick up the sound of things all around beginning to hum to life. Let there be light, she guesses, as they start to flicker on. The bar begins to become supplied before her very eyes and she can't help the smile she's sporting at it all. ]

This is so cool.

IIA; Let's Get This Terrible Party Started (OTA)

[ On the fringes of the lounge, there is (1) very displeased woman. A stark contrast to anyone who'd seen her before, she looks positively cranky at the moment. By the umpteenth time the music changes not only genre but era, the reason for her sour mood becomes clear as she can't help but shout, ]

Oh my gods! I can't take it anymore. I'm going to find where the music is coming from and mix it right. [ Hell hath no fury like a DJ being forced to listen to subpar mixes, apparently. ]

IIB; Alright, This Party Sucks (OTA)

[ So while she'd been determined to right the musical wrongs... her plans may be altered slightly. As this is a new place and all, it doesn't take long before she gets hopelessly lost. Apollod is doing his best to lead her back to the main lounge but a daemon can only do so much when it's owner is distracted by every new neat room. They do say dogs take after their owners. Rose had always wondered where Golden got his lack of attention span but now it couldn't be clearer. Apollod rolls his camera eyes as he trots after Rose the third time now she says 'Hold on,' and heads into yet another unexplored space. ]

Woah, hey, you lost too?

[ she asks, wherever she crosses paths with someone. It's possible to come across Rose checking inspecting the boxing ring at the gym. Or perhaps have an awkward run-in at one of the rose petal-laden rooms. She was only glancing in, honest. No schemes in her head whatsoever. ]

IV; Wildcard

(( ooc; hit me up on plurk at puddingandpie to plot something else if you've got an idea! or just throw said idea me tbh I can roll with whatever ))

a. yeah, draw the line up.

[ When Ronan heads to the bar, Adam doesn't follow.

Instead he makes his way slowly around the empty space of the Atrium Lounge, hands in his pockets and a small toy striped like a police car speeding along behind him. Every time he pauses it's to stare at something, be it the birds nesting in the rafters, or the vines that poke their thorns through everything. It's a strange sight, as was the place that apparently belonged to the two Raven Boys. Nature claiming everything for itself, nature being unrelenting. Adam touches the tip of his finger to one vine while he holds his breath, half hoping for a spark of something. All it gives him is a prick of a sting and he shoves his hands in his pockets to stop him pressing them against anything else.

( Every so often he looks across the space for Ronan, unwilling to keep him out of sight for too long. The relief that he's feeling is tinged with sadness and uncertainty and he thinks if his daemon hadn't all but demanded they come here, then he'd have had a harder time letting go of his hand. )

Barricaded doesn't seem to have much grace about him though, and as Adam turns he hears the police siren shriek, mechanical wheels skidding as he bumps into a foot. Almost shamefaced, he lifts his gaze to the victim. ] Sorry, he keeps doing that. [ There's a sound like grating metal and it shifts from a car to a humanoid figure to apologise, or more likely, to shout and whoever got in his way. ] He's based on a Decepticon. They're kind of assholes.

b. don't take no more time up, yeah.

[ The music seems to relax most of the refugees, though it doesn't do much for Adam but set him on edge. It's always harder to concentrate on what he can hear when there's too much of it. Which means he's commandeered a table and is curiously tapping away at the hologram screen Barricaded displays for him. Whether it's for his own benefit, or to just keep the damn thing busy he won't tell.

He sends Ronan a smiley face just because he can, and then glances back around the bar. It's much cleaner now, the only traces of wildness from the small shoots of green along the walls. He's strangely pleased the vines haven't faded entirely even though they make something in his chest twinge. It's hopeful, and kind of stupid.

At one point, when the music changes to something angry and heavy, a deep bass and familiar lyrics, Adam has to hide his laugh in the palm of his hand. He catches someone's eye and grins, shrugs his shoulders. ]

It's a classic.

c. make your mind up.

[ Of course he goes to the Temple. Of course he does, because he is Adam Parrish and he's never been one to back down from something that terrifies him. He knows, realistically, that it could be a dangerous place. He also knows that if he's going to come up with a way to save his friends ( not his world, it hasn't even occurred to him ) then he needs to take those risks. Barricaded zips in circles around his feet, offering up information and factoids even as he steps closer to the Cartographer.

Adam makes a sound, when the data blooms into life, craning his neck to try and see everything. ]

Okay, so I'm in a science fiction movie, awesome.

[ It's dry, and it dies away immediately when he finds the list of people he knows. Adam's gaze skips over the name of his mother and father to land on the last couple. Richard Campbell Gansey III. He reaches up to try and touch it, hand moving through the light easily. ]

Fucking shit.

[ He wants to kick something, he wants to break something. He can't though. ]

d. i need you to make your mind up, yeah.

[ Wildcard. I'm at athosing if you need anything. ]

Edited 2017-06-01 17:51 (UTC)

Early Bird
[even if she'd nearly choked at the parrot-shaped daemon's deadpan pronouncement, Amanda would have followed without its prodding. She needed to get out of her own head, and exploring more of this place would certainly do that.

Most--certainly not all--of her lingering worry about people who had already been so far away disappears as she lounge begins to transform in front of her eyes. Anyone who has known her before and seen her with something new will recognize the way her face lights up. It's the same way she looked when she walked through the Destiny, marveling at watching something ancient and alien and beautiful work]

God, this is insane. [she breathes the words with a laugh that borders on hysterical when she remembers how close they are to her first words on Desitny] Incredible, but insane.

It takes a great effort for her to move away from the receding plants, but she does eventually, going up to the bar to keep herself from being a complete wallflower. She smiles at the pink umbrella in her drink--until she takes a sip, coughing like she'd just tasted something from Brody's still again. It takes her a few moments to get her breathing back, and she grins sheepishly at whoever might be nearby]

Well, I guess you can't expect even the most amazing computer system to get humans taste right on the first try. [she has ideas about what it's doing, how its learning, and she can appreciate that even if she doesn't like being involved in this particular part of its learning process]

Exploring
[even after a year in Eudio--a year she's trying not to think about too hard right now--Amanda still isn't the most comfortable in social gatherings. She still doesn't know how to act most of the time, without someone to be a buffer.

So it's inevitable that she winds up exploring the Citadel, and even less surprising that her attention is most drawn by a room filled with computers. She would have been horrified by the state the room is, once, but now she finds it strangely beautiful. Maybe because of her time in Eudio, maybe because everything seems to be running, or maybe because finding beauty keeps her from thinking about...other things.

Whatever the reason, she's so enraptured by the scene--and her body, still foreign to itself, more than a bit clumsy in the dark--that it's really amazing it takes her as long as it does to bump into someone as she turns to examine another piece of equipment]

Oh! Sorry, wasn't watching where I was going!

wild card
[want something more specific or a Temple interaction? Hit me up at

keenquing]

[ Fashionably Late ]

[ Aric ends up late, which is entirely his own fault. He would usually be the sort to be early to things, but he hadn't quite wanted to pay attention to Alized. However, after plenty of pawing and head butting as Aric tried to concentrate he finally makes his way to Central Citadel.

The building was curious enough as he stepped inside, one ancient sounding song ending, turning into what was some sort of punk rock sounding song was jarring. He frowns briefly as he moves through the lounge and he does see a bar. That becomes his focus immediately.

It has been far too long since he's had a good stiff drink, which he will be asking for immediately thank you. ]

[ Exploring ]

[ After a few drinks, Aric starts to explore the Central Citadel. There's not much curiosity but habit of being aware of his surroundings and available resources. Castle Lethe hadn't been a stockpiled fortress to withstand any apocalypse for no reason after all.

As he explores, he ignores any of the bedrooms that he finds, disinterested. He has a bed elsewhere after all, they seem out of place as he discovers the other more useful spaces. He doesn't particularly interact with any of the screens or technology but he makes note of what's available and the fact that it all seems to be working at least enough to be on.

If you don't find him in one of the conference areas, computer lab or situation room then the other place he stays in at length is the gym. It does hold his interest as the other rooms had, much more interesting the bedrooms as well. Most of it seems worn down and possibly barely usable but perhaps there could be some use to be found here later. He remains at a distance from directly interacting with anything as he had in the other rooms as well. ]

[ Wildcard ]

[ Up for anything else you are. Feel free to PM or PP

poetanarchy. Will match styles, etc!]

( one : arriving at the party )

[ At first, Blue doesn't pay her daemon much attention as it skitters around anxiously at her feet, nudges at her ankles, and flails its limbs wildly -- and in the short time that she's had the tree-like creature as a companion, she's discovered that it must find some sort of joy in urgently demanding Blue's attention for absolutely no reason at all. -- she simply writes it off as more of the daemon's odd (read: annoying) behavior. It's when all the various noises start echoing from somewhere deep within the daemon's leaves that Blue finally takes notice.

That wasn't normal.

The directions Shrubd (a name she'd given her daemon as a joke, but had somehow stuck.) gives her are fairly easy to follow: a few turns here and there that don't take Blue very far from her own small apartment, and when she arrives at the Citadel, she's honestly a little awed by the sight of it all, by all the thick and vibrant green plant life that grows over everything, a perfect mixture of nature and civilization with the way flowers and vines wind over steel and concrete.

Following behind Shrubd, who skitters with excitement, nearly tripping over its branch-like limbs, Blue finds her way to where the party is.... well, not happening. Still in the early stages of coming together, it looks more like a mess of vegetation and various decor and Blue looks around curiously, questioningly. ]

Wait, what? [ Her gaze shoots to the daemon when it speaks, Blue's brows furrowing at the statement. ] What is that supposed to mean?

( two : the partying continues )

[ She didn't party much back Henrietta, but making a new life for oneself requires new habits, right? Trying new things. Stepping outside of one's comfort zone.

A task that Blue discovers is a hundred times easier when she's gotten at least one drink in her system -- although, the drink hadn't come without any consequence and subsequent complaints, the first one Blue had tried had tasted like something akin to dirt-flavored vodka.

And no matter how much Blue might love good old Mother Earth, she's sure that no one enjoys dirt vodka.

One drink leads Blue to another and it's not long before she's returning to the bar.... and it's not long after that before this small eccentric girl is grimacing, spitting out the mouthful of liquid she'd just half-swallowed down from her newly refilled glass.

Sorry if you happen to be in the splash zone. ]

Oh my God, that's disgusting!

( three : exploring the citadel )

[ While most people her age probably would have loved to spend the entire night partying and drinking until they couldn't see or walk straight, Blue grows bored of then party scene rather quickly. The music changes from one extreme to the next -- from classical to hard rock, from bass booming electronica to soft jazz -- which does little for creating any kind of ambience at all, the drinks are a little too strong for her -- she's had more than a couple, which leaves her steps a little wobbly as she takes them -- and a few had even tasted absolutely horrible, and most of the people in attendance are ones she doesn't know which had left her awkwardly standing alone for most of the time.

So, Blue allows her somewhat unsteady steps to lead her away from all the music, booze and dancing to the much quieter hallways and corridors lined with various doors. Both opened and closed. Some locked and others not. Green plant life sprouts from everywhere, climbing up the walls and across the ceiling, peeking from the tiniest cracks, and Blue runs her fingers along the foliage fondly as she walks.

The first room she finds open looks like a computer lab -- or rather, underneath all the vines and flowers, it does. -- and Blue ends up idly walking the perimeter of the room a few times over before all of the plant life starts to recede, vines unwinding from around the computers and desks until everything in the room appears to be completely usable.

(And this whole process would have been something that shocked Blue a little more had she not seen it happen already a few times before. And were her daemon not a walking, and sometimes talking, piece of flora.) ]

Hm. [ She hums, stepping up to one of the machines and looking it over curiously. Blue isn't exactly well versed when it comes to technology -- she's sure she was one of the few 18 year-olds that she knew who still struggled to work a smartphone. -- but that doesn't stop her from giving it a try. ] Now which button turns you on?

[ And with that, she proceeds to search for a button to power the computer on. ]

( four : wildcard )

[ got a different idea? go ahead and throw it my way! or ping

unnideul to discuss things. will match styles and what not! ]

i) FASHIONABLY LATE.

[ Katniss, being the stubborn girl she is and having had experience with pushy people that were far worse than her daemon, manages to ignore the prodding of Cinnad for a decent amount of time. She's spoken to a few people from Eudio, familiar faces that offer a vague sense of comfort amidst such a harrowing place and arrival, so she's not desperate to follow Cinnad's instructions. Instead she meanders the city for a while, trying to get a better feel for it. It's when Cinnad plops his large brown bear-butt in front of her and refuses to move, effectively blocking her in an alleyway, that Katniss finally relents.

The party's been going for about an hour by the time she walks in. Compared to some of the parties she's been to the crowd isn't terrible, but it's still more people than she'd like to deal with right now. But there's food, drinks (though she doesn't drink any alcohol, thanks), and possibly some friendly faces.

Oh, and that moss-covered brown bear daemon (that looks very similar to a bear version of the green-backed bison in the bestiary) following her around? He might be responsible for Katniss stumbling into someone else, a hand reaching out to grab onto something (an arm of the person, a table nearby, etc) to catch herself. ]

Sorry, [ she grumbles, sounding far more annoyed than apologetic. Then she'll cast a sharp look over her shoulder at Cinnad. ] I'll figure out a way to cook you and feed you to people if you keep doing that.

ii) EXPLORING.

[ What holds Katniss's attention better than the party is the tower itself, so it comes as no surprise that she eventually breaks away from the crowd to wander the hallways instead. Cinnad follows quietly behind her and whether his stealthiness is because of her own (her footsteps are silent as she walks) or what, she doesn't care; all that matters is that they both walk in relative silence.

Which means that either when she turns the corner or enters a room, anyone already there may not hear her coming. Surprise isn't her intent, she just isn't sure what lingers throughout the tower and she's got nothing to protect herself, so she'd much rather sneak past something than alert and anger it. Or scare it.

She goes through all of the different rooms that she can, exploring each in kind. If all of the rooms except the ones with the beds, Katniss - if there's someone in there - will step down particularly noisily to announce her presence. ] I hope I'm not interrupting anything. [ The words are kind enough, but Katniss's tone - as usual - is dry and a bit harsh; one might even take it as sarcastic.

If there's someone in a room with a bed when she enters, Katniss will stop immediately just inside the doorway, eyes wide as she takes in the flowers and the romantic setting. Then her gaze, sharp and perhaps a bit nervous, will shift to the person or persons in the room. ] Do you always set out flowers for strangers?

iii) WILDCARD.

Either toss something else my way or hmu at gobrookeyourself to plot and I'll write up a starter for you! I'm 1000000% open to the bonus adventure with anyone Katniss doesn't already know, too!

Edited 2017-06-03 01:02 (UTC)

i. fashionably late

[ Seeing as his daemon is inanimate, and he is stubborn, John is able to ignore its insistence longer than most. Eventually, however, the incessant notifications become unbearable, and curiosity gets the better of him, leading him to make his way to the citadel. He enters the party when it's in full swing, daemon chess set tucked under his arm. He keeps to the fringes, not engaging anyone directly. At some point he finds himself in front of the the booze on offer, looking over the bottles on display with no small amount of bemused puzzlement. ]

ii. exploration

[ Thinking the party is beneath him, John takes to wandering the citadel. When the overgrown halls become too dark to see, he conjures a small flame in his hand as a torch. He's interested in the lab spaces, clearing away vine growth to try to access the computers underneath. Once that's done, he attempts to get the machines working again. However, either they're beyond hope or he's just not too good with computers. When he hears footsteps outside, he calls out. ]

Hey! Excuse me, out there? Do you think you can give me a hand with this?

iii. wildcard

[ hit me up on plurk at

objectpermanence for ideas! ]

Edited 2017-06-02 16:53 (UTC)

A. Early Bird

[ By the bar there is a vampire, with a cocktail in his hand. He samples it, then makes a face, and rolls his eyes at the unicorn beside him. A moment later, he is sliding behind there himself, taking hold of the bottles waiting to be used, and mixing his own drinks. ]

I will take care of this.

[ His unicorn daemon, currently trying to find a space to stand where Rafa's umbreon will stop trying to tackle it, looks up with wide-eyed interest. ]

Drinking is an important social connection. Please beware that large quantites are likely to cause inebriation -

They are not all fo rme. [ Rafa interrupts, with a flourish of his hand. The umbreon chooses that moment to pounce on it again, and Rafa lets them play while turning to meet his new customers. ]

What can I get you? Bear in mind, almost none of this is anything I recognise. These two make something purple and faintly glowing, if you are game to try.

B. Citadel

[ Rafa has gotten used to following the daemon by this point. He's taken to calling it Kyd, since his first attempt was summarily rejected by Shane. Kyd, like kid, for a little goat. The unicorn is not a little goat, but Rafa perhaps feels better about its existence by talking to it that way. It seems unoffended - in fact, Rafa isn't sure it's capable of taking offence, anyway. What it can very ably do is guide him around the city, so when it says it has something to show him, he goes.

Once he sees what it is, he wonders why he was ever anywhere else. His hands move rapidly over the device, trying to get to grips with it and understand how it works. He's taking in as much of the information as he can - names that he knows, a timeline laid out for him. It's all here, and here is the proof of where it's all dying. ]

Hunter, show me Hunter...I must know he's safe. Show me.

[ He moves from one screen to another, pulling up different information until at last, at last, he finds evidence that Hunter is in his world. ]

Now, show me that he left Eudio. Tell me that he did, tell me he's where he should be. Come on, it is not much to ask!

[ He has roundly forgotten who else might be in the room with him. ]

Where is it, just show me...

C. Wildcard

[ Choose your own adventure! I'm halfbloodly on plurk if you want to plot. ]

CENTRAL CITADEL;

[ here's murphy, staring dumbly up at the tall structures of an actual city (albeit overgrown) in a bit of awe, when his stupid, huge elk daemon thing starts talking to him, murphy eyes casting to it with a skeptic arch to his brows.

he's at least bathed and found himself some clean clothes in the rummaging and looting that went on when they first got into the city, so murphy thankfully doesn't look and smell like a woodlands crazy anymore. but, he's still well on edge, suspicious of ever strange face and ever inch of this city. this whole gathering, party thing, just seems like a good way to round them up and murder them, really, but here he is anyway, after much time spent trying not to be. ]

Oh, hey you guys, genital contact isn't required! Thanks, that one was really killing me to know.

[ he's not really a happy camper about this. ]

ATRIUM LOUNGE;

[ john murphy is pilfering booze.

he is taking entire bottle from the bar and stuffing them into a saddle bag he has fitted onto his dumb moose-elk-daemon, bellamid. bellamid is kindly informing him that the booze are for everyone and he must share. murph is telling him: ] Shut your snout, Moosamy'd, free is free, and I don't see anyone else's name on it.

[ it possible someone might want to stake claim to the remaining bottles before they disappear. ]

EXPLORING;

[ in the computer rooms, murphy's sat down at one, typing away and trying to find anything outside of what they already know about this place. try to reach anyone else in the area. try to find anything that looks like ALIE or Becca had been here, because that's what this place freaking sounds like, to be honest.

upon finding nothing of great interest, you'll see him start to pry the tower open, trying to take the pieces apart of one of the computers. it's salvage, and he's leaving the others intact - he just wants this one.

in the rooms with beds, bellamid, the moose-elk, is pacing around after him as he snoops around. finding a room full of roses, murphy lets out a comical bark-laugh, as he paces in. bellamid starts to eat the little flowers, and murphy hops up on one of the mattresses, starting to jump on it like a trampoline, rose petals flying.

should someone come wandering in, he'll abruptly flop onto his side, elbow propped on the bed and hand supporting his head, looking mock-seductive. ] Paint me like one of your French girls.

[ in the gym, murphy isn't planning on working out at all. no, instead he's digging around for anything that looks like a weapon, and tucking that into bellamid's saddle bags as well. weapons are more important than working out, okay? fight him? ]

THE TEMPLE;

[ he's pretty wary when his moose asks him if he wants to see something cool, because that sounds like the beginning of a pull my finger joke, but murphy eventually agrees.

Suddenly, a temple.

it's a trip, and he's completely expecting ALIE to come walking through one of the walls and start talking about the city of light with this save point bullshit, but it doesn't happen. instead, he's left to poking at the screens and explore the menus. ] Save points. We gonna get a health upgrade and extra lives sometime too?

[ he's murmuring bitterly, as he wanders from one place to the next, finally coming to the amenities panel. ] And this is... ?

Edited 2017-06-05 03:13 (UTC)

☘ EARLY BIRD

Emeraldd made sure to inform her of what 'connection' was considered to be in this new world, all the while nudging Era toward a tower whose architecture was as foreign as the rest of the city's. If she tilts her head and squints a little she might be able to see similarities to what she knows of ancient Allag and Mhachi structures, but for the most part everything is so overwhelmingly different. Different celestial bodies, different aether. Different sights, smells, and sounds. Different flora and fauna.

Era tries to be grateful for the opportunity, shifting her focus from discomfort to curiosity as best she can. Technology has never been her forté and it makes her think of Cid and Biggs and Wedge and how they would adore the opportunity to examine even a fraction of the things she can see at a glance even before it starts to come alive. Even her fellow Scions would want to explore the building for various reasons.

Experience tells her to be on her guard - too many times has she entered a derelict place only to have long-dead technology awaken to try and kill her. Emeraldd tells her she's being stupid. Era chooses to ignore her rogue summon's comment and instead fingers the outline of her daggers through her obi. The deadly weapons succeed at settling her nerves where the daemon failed. It huffs at her:

'You have an unfortunate love of weapons for someone who identifies as a master of the healing arts.'

Era clicks her tongue irritably in response (pushes down the yearning for her precious, quiet Carbuncle) and goes to examine some of the plant life before it becomes out of reach, tail swishing behind her as she goes.

☘ PARTY TIME

Like all Au Ra, Era is proud of her horns. They are sturdy, nicely sized, and allow her to hear better than any human could dream of. She wouldn't trade them for the world - especially not for small, fleshy ears like the other races have.

She is not so proud as to be unable to admit that, perhaps in some instances, having ears you can cover might be exceptionally useful.

Her music teacher Jehantel would likely be rather impressed by the range of sounds she is unfortunate enough to hear. The Elezen is a far better musician than she will ever be, and might even be able to appreciate the dissonance between the lovely jig and the strange... high pitched... metallic noises... and screeching...?

...On second thought, Era is quite positive Jehantel would not. Another fight with Nidhogg would likely be less painful than another few minutes of this so-called music.

☘ ET CETERA

{ I would be happy to play off of any other ideas! feel free to contact me via froakie }

1. early birds.

[ Sleep doesn't come easy or stay for long on the first night in the city. Jim is still too keyed up from the past two days, everything that happened in their world, and in this one. So he catches sleep in fits and spurts, even goes as far as to share the same bed as Spock since his daemon can't seem to keep his paws to himself while he's still recuperating from what could have easily been a mortal injury.

When they begin to make noises at them, paw and push and tug at clothes, he swats Mestrald away from his First Officer, and warily gets up to get dressed. He found them some clothes and other supplies before coming back to rest for the night. He's about to demand more information before he's verbally sideswiped by genital contact is not required--what the hell kind of place is this?

They get to the Atrium Lounge, parting ways only to get a better lay of the land, and cover more of it. Jim is still concerned about his friend, but they have bigger things to worry about now that he's not at death's door.

First things, though, it looks like a wreck. Music keeps shifting from something familiar to unfamiliar and everywhere in between. That's not even getting started on the drink situation, which Jim pointedly ignores for the time being. He's not interested in getting inebriated when he needs to get back to his world. His crew. He needs to stop whoever the people are that destroyed his ship and captured most of his crew. While he's wearing jeans and a dark grey t-shirt, he's still got his survival boots on, and the jacket. It stands out as obviously Starfleet to anyone that might know what that is. He also still has the belt which has his phaser, tricorder, and communicator, the last so that he can get in contact with Spock quickly if necessary.

And vice versa, which he hopes doesn't happen.

While he doesn't mingle so much, he does reach out to other people who have arrived, both early and late. ]

Excuse me, apologies, have you seen anyone else wearing a uniform with any kind of emblem like this? I found one other, about my height, dark hair, and pointed ears. We're looking for our friends.

[ Feel free to try and get him to stay and chat about other things, or request help in your own endeavors. He tries not to stay and mingle for a long while, mostly scans faces for anything familiar, and then move on to explore the other rooms, taking scans intermittently as he goes.

Feel free to chat, try to mingle, or enlist his help in other ways. ]

2. bonus adventure: the temple.

[ Exploration is turning up a whole lot of nothing that has mostly fallen into disrepair, though the city itself seems to be intent on fixing that problem as more time passes. Some of the changes have happened right in front of him, and he hopes that it'll turn up something in the scans he's taken.

Nothing else about his crew has exactly panned out, and so he retreated back from his exploration a bit, to try and get a different perspective. He'd actually been lost a little in thought when he shoulder-checked some poor person. ]

I'm sorry. Are you ok? [ He's waiting on the response, and trying to see if he'd done any actual harm when Paxd asks him that. He says yes rather immediately, and the somewhat familiar feeling of a transport washes over him, dropping him into the Temple. His hand goes to his phaser as his eyes and other senses adjust to the sudden shift. ]

You good? [ He asks the person who ended up transported at random with him. If he's not careful, this is going to become a trend. Once he starts to adjust to the new place, his hand moves from the phaser to his tricorder, and he opens it up to start scanning. ]

3. wildcard pick a card. any card.

[ Did I miss something? I'm easy, just hit me up here, and I'll be happy to go on another kind of adventure! ]

Edited 2017-06-13 22:59 (UTC)

i. Fashionably late

[The atmosphere of a party, while slightly oppressive and a little overwhelming, is at least familiar. Arthur finds a drink, downs half of it in one go and allows the crowd to surge around him, enveloping him in a shield of nameless faces.

Eventually, probably inevitably, he ends up leaning against the wall. He sways a little to some of the music, but finds himself too conscious of his own limbs to try dancing--it's one thing when Ray and the others are onstage and he's in the wings, but here, by himself...it isn't worth the risk of humiliation, without his friends nearby to bolster him.

After a while, he finds a seat and opens his suitcase. Inside is a notebook, and opens it to a half-finished sketch of Curt as he'd been onstage that last night, raw and sexy and writhing as he exorcised his heartbreak and much too personal to work on in front of anyone. Flushing instinctively, he flips past the sketch and a few others until he finds a blank page.

He chews on the end of his pen for a moment, considering the crowd in front of him, then puts it to the notebook and starts to draw.]

ii. Explore

[The problem is, Arthur can only take so much of any party before he starts to crack under the weight of so many people in one place. After a few hours of mostly playing the wallflower, he slips away from the main room, his mind buzzing with the static of so many voices, and starts to look for a quiet spot to retreat to.

He picks a door at random, but when he pushes it open, he finds the room already occupied. Startled and embarrassed, he drops his eyes to the floor, feeling his face turn hot.]

Ah--I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you.

iii. wildcard!

[ooc: poke me on plurk @

colorilluminates, if you wanna!]

Edited 2017-06-21 06:47 (UTC)

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hanako 'rosalina' nurumi; oc (eudio crau); 1 closed + ota