THE AMAZING BASE.

[agogemod]

WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? Welcome home, nerds.
WHEN? Outside time and space, in the aether between dimensions.
ANYTHING ELSE? There is also a fish. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.

MYSTERY FISH;

question the mystery fish

DEPARTING GALLIPOLI

The order comes the day after the Marie Antoinette sets sail:

PACK UP AND GET READY TO MOVE OUT. WE'VE DONE ALL WE CAN HERE.

DEPLOYMENT: BASE.

WE NEED TO RESTOCK. BE PREPARED FOR MORE TRANSFERS ON ARRIVAL.

STAY SAFE. TIME-STEP EXPECTED TO BEGIN WITHIN THE HOUR.

FOR THOSE OF YOU NEW TO COST: FIND A SECLUDED SPOT AND TRY NOT TO EAT ANYTHING BEFORE THE JUMP.

The Time-Step

The transfer begins like a vibrating heat on the collar bone, just a hum of sensation.

But the vibration spreads. Veteran COST soldiers often refer to this phenomenon as "the buzz". The feeling builds, not unlike standing near a great engine or the wind-rattled branches of a massive tree. There is a long moment of motion sickness and you can't be sure if the world is shaking you from the inside out or the outside in. It may be better to close your eyes against the growing nausea, as the world blurs out of focus.

A star shines in the distance. You may hear the faint rustling of leaves. Some swear they hear voices in this moment, indistinct words echoing off nothingness. Others say they feel a touch of the divine, that the eyes of the eternal look down upon you. Ancient bones rattle just out of earshot, cold and brittle and nothing more than the suggestion of sound. Or maybe it's only an illusion, brought on by the powerful technology grafted into your skin.

One thing is for sure: One moment you are here and the next you are not.

The shift takes you from whatever solitude you could find aboard the Marie Antoinette to the temperature-regulated hallway of what looks like a very poorly put together space station. Droids rush up and down the long hallway, fixing broken bits of machinery or just chattering with each other. A few crows sit on high ledges, looking down and watching. Someone mutters something about a centaur around the corner.

And you might just notice, provided you were in Gallipoli long enough to acquire stowaways, that the parasites lurking on your skin are mercifully gone.

For new arrivals who didn't experience Gallipoli: You, too, will appear in this long hallway, filled with droids and crows and humans (still filthy and clad in ANZAC uniforms, carrying battered equipment from the first World War). And you'll be wearing the minimal COST-issued athletic underwear and holding whatever one item you were allowed to bring. Surprise!

READ THE BASE INFOPAGE.

home away from home

Those who have been to BASE before may find a strangeness to it all: BASE seems...still. The windows show a verdant world instead of the usual aether (though with the typical paranoia), and the halls are bereft of all but a few crows. A man stands at the end of the long hallway you arrived in, waiting for you to get your bearings before he speaks.

Except, you know, he's not a man. He's a centaur.

"It's been barely a week since you left, by my reckoning. But for you, I'm sure, it's been much longer. Still, much has changed. You may have noticed we are...becalmed. This is due, it seems, to an error in our ways. We kept something that does not belong to us, several wild creatures that are meant to be free. They seem to have psychically called out to their home, and their home responded; we are now somewhat stranded.

"But let me explain—the Aether is the nexus between worlds and times, but it is not a dead thing. Creatures live in it. We have crashed onto the back of one such creature, a mighty beast, as large as a small country and entirely undiscovered. We have found why the creature has intercepted us: we have accidentally taken captive some of its children. Shapers, the wild creatures I mentioned, it seems they form a symbiotic bond with the creature, and live happily within its stomach."

He frowns, considering this.

"Shapers, I should mention, are creatures that briefly infested our fair BASE. The issue was dealt with, though we kept some for experimentation. The coelacanth took issue with this, it seems. It can speak, of course; we are stranded very near its head, and if you wish to ask it a question, I implore you to do so. The creature is older than creation—older than me—and only speaks once to any creature it encounters. It's said its wisdom brings kings to their knees."

His eyes crinkle in humor.

"My name is Chiron and I am the caretaker of this place, for those of you whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting. More importantly, I am a trainer and a teacher of some experience; if you wish training or schooling of any sort, do summon me. I will be happy to assist."

He's easy to contact, often found in the library, the training area, his capsule, or elsewhere in the station, attempting to fix what he understands and arguing with crows.

"We intended to spend this time exploring, for this is a rare opportunity to discover more of an entirely uncharted world. I hasten you to see if anything on the coelacanth can be of use, but be careful. Take only what you need, not what you may want. I intend to learn my lessons well; these creatures are not pets. Takes food, water, and any materials of use to us for our survival and perseverance, but no more. We task you with this: explore the coelacanth, and see what of it can be understood. Bring us back samples, but do try to interrupt the natural habitat as little as possible. We are guests here."

He bows and the action shows a slight limp in one of his back legs.

"I would join you, but I am far too old for such activities. Still, do pepper me with any questions you should encounter. I am always available on the network, or in person, within this hulking mass we call home."

And then he leaves you to find your capsules and rest.

CAPSULE ASSIGNMENTS

Once you've found your room and settled in—perhaps taken a shower, collected clothes, and eaten—a droid will approach you with camping equipment and give you a brief explanation of how to access and use the database. It's time to get your gear and go.

Of course, you can decline. You can stay and tend to the fort, maybe try and clean up this patchwork jumble of metal and machinery. But seeing the sights on the back of a giant fish flying through non-space? Who can say no to that?


the undiscovered country.

BASE's airlocks open into a lush valley, vibrant with color and rustling with life that has thrived on the coelacanth's back for millennia. It's a striking shift from the rot and gunfire of Gallipoli, unmarked by shrapnel, bombshells, and never-fresh air.

No, the air here is clean in a way that can leave you breathless, untouched by pollutants and stirred into a gentle breeze. It's a marked departure for anyone used to a more modern Earth or rough equivalent; letting the air sit on your tongue leaves a crisp, unsullied taste behind. And the whole forest feels alive, in a way that reminds you of how small you really are.

A white crow perches in a tree near BASE's exit, too high up to properly engage but a stark contrast to the bright leaves around her. She merely watches recruits come and go with a shrewd eye, feathers fluffed against the light chill. There are other crows scattered throughout the wilderness, some easier to find than others as they flit through the trees, sit on camping equipment, or hitch rides on the hoverbikes.

Besides those brief flashes of black feathers, however, you're left unsupervised.

Try not to fuck up anything too badly.

EXPLORE:INFOPAGE|DATABASE
talk to a fish | destruction report

NAV. NETWORK LOGS OOC MEMES PLURK

Comments

II. (a)

[trample]

You're as lively as ever. [ In stark contrast to Eren, who was, as usual, glum, slouched over, and looking like a terrible mix of Norman Reedus, the Grudge, and timeskip Noctis with a little Captain Jack Sparrow somewhere in there - maybe in the eyeliner. ] Who told you that little tidbit of advice?

[ He, obviously, didn't have any plans to pair up with anyone else. Just look at him. He's a mess that no one would want to have around. Despite that, he really was in his element here, and he looks just a percentile more enthused than usual. His backpack is especially suspect, seemingly bulging with quite a lot more than what everyone else is packing (this is important to note for later).

A sigh. ]

Do you honestly think I'd refuse? [ He seems...a little perky, almost. Comparatively, at least. He peeks with his one eye at the elk, with a small glimmer of curiosity and nostalgia. ] In my time, we used horses. They were bred for the job. An elk is...quite unique, to say the least.

[deem]

They might seem opaque to you, but they actually improve my visual acuity.

[He can't see through ones other units are wearing either, so it's a one-way kind of deal]

There's some advantages to people not seeing your eyes, besides.

[Like this makes it more sensible than it is]

[deem]

Okay. Shouldn't take me long to get back.

And I'm 9S. Nice to meet you.

[deem]

Me? I guess the simplest answer's Earth, just...not the same time as anybody else around here.

[Which remains really weird, if anyone asks him. But he saw Gallipoli for himself, recognizes it as the Old World. There was no mistaking what he saw, what he felt...

What he smelled.

That place sure was awful. Makes him want to bathe again for good measure, just thinking about it]

But you know...I found a room that looks like a maintenance bay, so maybe if we got the right parts...

[masque]

how'd you get a nickname like that?

[inconstantly]

[Wow. This person was acting as some kind of self-appointed enforcer. John's always been very resistant to authority figures. After joining COST he was in a situation where orders were part of the operation, but now they come in the form of word policing from someone who wasn't even a superior officer. The entire thing rubs him wrong.]

You some kind of cop? [The words roll off the tongue slowly and lazily.] Think whatever you like but personal preferences aren't exactly law.

[raisedbybirds]

Could be worse. [She admits and retreats more into the capsule, slinking up the stairs and waiting halfway up them to watch him, as if silently inviting him to explore the space she leaves behind. She's lived in her ship and lived literally in her suit for months at a time. These capsules are not bad at all, considering.]

Then again, Gallipoli wasn't exactly a high standard of living to beat.

[She's so done with Gallipoli.]

[inconstantly]

Always good? How boring. [With the casual air about them John trusts that Dorian will take the words in the spirit that they are meant. He hasn't yet seen a hint of anything that would actually render Dorian boring.

From his seat on the floor John reaches between his legs and withdraws one of the many bottles stashed away. He holds it aloft with a slight shake to draw attention, indicating that he was far from 'concealing anything naughty.' When he unscrews the cap the scent of gin hits his nostrils and it's not long before the alcohol touches his lips.]

So what happens when we're sent on whatever mission COST has in store next? Will you be able to leave it at BASE?

[If where they go next was anything like Gallipoli there was likely very little chance for the hart's survival.]

[raisedbybirds]

I'm fine. [Really, she is; she holds her arms up placatingly to prove it and turns them around so he doesn't fret over her any further; her elbows have a grass rash at the very worst. She knows how to tuck and roll.]

It's fine. [That's blurted automatically. She's not sure she'll ever get used to someone so selflessly and immediately offering help as much as he does but it's not unwelcome. She's just not sure what to do with it again.

It takes her looking at the dismantled turbine-part of the bike's engine to remember where she left off and she realizes, yeah, a second pair of hands to hold the case still while she undoes the last set of bolt would help.]

I only need to take this vent off. [She taps it with the end of a socket wrench-like tool--clang clang--] Then maybe I can see what's causing the problem.

gimme that magic

[courtintrigue]

[ In comparison to the last mission -- and every other mission, if Morrigan is to be honest -- this is much better: exploring, camping, not constantly watching out for snipers or having to rein in her magic to blend better. Even so, she is intrigued when she sees a figure not so far away writing in the air with fiery letters, and when she reads the word she cannot disagree. It sums up recent months fairly well.

Well enough, in fact, that she turns her hand up, flame blossoming from her palm, and with careful aim punctuates the thought with a line of flame into the air followed by a fireball. A fiery exclamation point, though it does not linger in the air.

She raises her voice enough to easily be heard. ]

Any other opinions to share?

[inconstantly]

[John gives a languid shrug, pleased that some of his more positive attributes have been noted.]

Well I can't say I know all mages, mate. That's a bit of a reach. Even for someone who casts as admittedly wide of a net as I do. [a not entirely serious lift of the eyebrows] You keeping tabs on us or something?

a. what's good

[decisions]

[ percy is lingering in the doorway of the "spa" for about half a second before he hears the invitation, jerking as if perhaps he's been caught somewhere he oughtn't be. and for half a moment that's what it feels like before he spots vex lounging in a pool of water, very much directing her eyes at him. percy would point, say "me?" but really, there's no one else in the room. it's purely a fool's move, stalling. instead, he steps in, having managed to sneak in a quick shower and it very much showing in his pushed back finger-combed hair and the clothing he's wearing now.

the style is strange, but not uncomfortable, loose pants made of material that feels like it can take a beating, a jacket he has draped over a shoulder like some kind of parody of something he might have owned back home but in a drabber, darker shade of blue. ]

Incredibly tempting, [ he laughs. a smile is automatic and honest on his lips. it doesn't stop him from pacing forward, heart pounding high and tight in his chest as he nears the pool of water. ] The shower hardly felt like enough, but you seem to be enjoying yourself too much for me to intrude.

[ again. doesn't stop him from making his way to the edge of the pool and bringing himself down to sit at its edge with her. something in him bites down hard - regret for something he's sure he's missing. the look in vex's eyes on that small boat had said enough. the kiss that still feels hot, tattooed on his mouth, grainy with sand, but soft like summer, strong with all kinds of conviction about him he's not sure he could believe. ]

i.

[decisions]

[ percy is already perusing the table of discarded clothing, running fingers along waistbands to estimate fit, twisting his mouth when something isn't quite right. so when the man who is very much lacking any kind of clothing beyond the bundle of strange gray scarf in his arms, he gets a brow raise. ]

If you put some trousers on I'd be glad to help.

[ he knows the basics, that much is certain, though he still feels that's more to learn here. all the same, he carries himself with a straight-backed bearing, already offering out a few pieces of clothing in a "here" motion. please. dress yourself weird nearly naked guy. ]

[horsepowered]

Being a summoned spirit usually requires a mage doing the lifting. Perhaps tabs isn't the right term, but there is an expected connection.

[horsepowered]

[Chiron doesn't even notice the stare. He's far too used to being a slight surprise, and in truth, he's just pleased to have his normal form back.]

And what have you found so far in your time underneath it?

[He very gingerly releases the branch that was being examined in favor of focusing all of his attention on Percy. It's a shortcut to learning more about the tree's properties.]

[horsepowered]

Well, mechanics may not be anything I'm skilled at, but I can hold or hand over things as needed.

[Chiron is, in fact, completely lost as to what the bits and bobs that go into a hoverbike are.]

Or fetch things like water, if parts need to be cleaned off.

[decisions]

[ maybe they're better off eaten, aka percy's brain concurs. at least they're on the same page here. still, he wraps an arm without any kind of hesitancy around her middle, the other grabbing onto the hover bike for extra stability as it hiccups and sways, lurching a little and making his stomach turn just a bit. ah yes. heights, unstable vehicles, and just barely hanging on by the skin of his teeth. all three of his favorite things.

he squeezes his eyes shut for half a moment before he can hear the low pounding of the creature behind them. he'd urge himself not to look back, but that would be smart wouldn't it? self-preserving of the mind? instead, he very much looks back, arm tightening just a bit around her middle as he reaches into his jacket for the shape of the strange, small gun (a derringer) given to him. ]

How badly do you think a shot to the face will - [ the bike tilts uncomfortably taking a turn as the sphinx darts after them, snapping ] - make this thing even angrier? If I can blind it, maybe we'll have a better shot.

[inconstantly]

[John takes in the information thoughtfully, turning the words over in his head. It's true that he doesn't know as much as he should when it comes to music on the global scale. And when it comes to punk, John will happily correct that error at the drop of a hat.]

I'm afraid you've found my limitations. Can you find them on this thing? I'm game for a listen. [He reaches a hand back and smacks the hoverbike with a hand to indicate the speakers.]

You don't have to stand as far back as all that though. That whole looking away bit is distracting. [a drag on the cigar] You have somewhere to be or something?

3B I can't feel my face when I'm with yoooooou

[prizeneck]

[If anyone asks, it hadn't been the scent of delicious fast food flowers that brought him there. Just mere curiosity.

So here's a frown.] N...o...

[fessus]

18, you?

[ This is sad, he's a sad game-obsessed person. ]

2

[prizeneck]

Another denizen of the corridors late at night, although Mamoru does not look like he has a need for sleep - hair still damp after quick practice and a shower, he actually looks fresh-faced. While most recruits have trouble getting enough sleep, he has perfected the art of the cat nap since he was a child, leaning against any corner and getting some quick shut-eye.

He almost did not recognize her. No mask, no ANZAC uniform, no flame-thrower. It's her voice that makes him slow down his stride towards the kitchen. He assumes she probably doesn't know who he is, either, with the gas mask off as well.

While he isn't really able to see the flames, he can't help but agree, the warmth, the dry but not too harsh air that surrounds a fireplace or a bonfire. However, he can't help but snort at sensing a pattern. "'know a couple of people at a beach who'd beg to differ."

[fessus]

That wasn't a metaphor it was just true. But yeah sure ig that's a good point. Did you wanna come see mine?

[thingpuncher]

Midnighter, shirtless, bet and bleeding, smiles. "I like the way you think."

And then he walks straight into the water like the creature from the Black Lagoon, no bubbles trailing him. Eventually, there's some splashing and obvious signs of rapid movement beneath the surface. Blood trails up as well, but that could just be from Midnighter's previous injuries. Regardless, it means the time to act is probably now.

[thunders]

[ Thor raises an eyebrow. ] You get your looks from your father, then? Well met, John.

[ It's refreshing to have someone understand so easily. Even with the wide variety of people here, most of the ones he's met are from Midgard or something like it.

He watches John curiously. Mjolnir doesn't so much as tremble when he tries to lift it. ]

It is. By the Allfather himself. So- [ He reaches down and grips the hammer himself, one handed. When he gives it a little toss it, hums softly with the movement, an entirely alien sound. He sets it on the bed, and the mattress doesn't sink more than it would for any average object. ] Don't take it personally.

Do you know something of enchantments?

II.

[prizeneck]

[He's actually just registering the gorge, having stood quietly by the bottom of the cliff, looking at the way the wind carries along the high rocks ( if were they actually rocks ...), listening to the leaves rustle around him.

He smells the shift in the air before the downpour. It's not nitrogen, but it's close, enough to send him an urge to find shelter quickly.

So when he hears Noctis' voice calling he slips into the tent, hair already dripping, wiping at the lenses of his red shades.] Not expecting this kind of rain, what the hell.