agogelogs | THE AMAZING BASE.

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THE AMAZING BASE.

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

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[Jeopardytheme.mp3

He casts his senses for anything out there, keeps a close eye at the tops of trees.] Yeah. [Points at a vine curled around a trunk, shifting slowly in their direction.] Those.

not at all. i was on my final heist, too.

you?

[says nothing and shows nothing on his face as hei takes the bag. he always figured hei was a lowkey foodie, seeing him in the kitchen before gallipoli. ... he's even respecting the robots. wow.

hei apparently thinks he's the delivery boy. but someone cooking for him, well... he can't complain.]

Tempura or sashimi. I didn't figure you'd be so excited though. [...] I can help, I'm pretty good.

He tries to help her wash, gathering soap himself and trying to hit areas she hasn't yet -- something that the extremely cramped space of the shower stall makes difficult. Two people who aren't lovers would have a hard time of it together with the door closed.

At least the water is beginning to run clear now.

"He told me he lost contact with you when your BCE was removed from the network."

That's not, in fact, exactly what Chiron said, but it's how Jon had interpreted it.

[well, everyone's been talking about it, so here he is. he's been brainstorming on what to ask, hearing how it can use non-answers, but... it's worth a shot if it's free, right?

he's tired, so maybe the robot man's his imagination at first glance and must just be a guy in armor... right? it's hard to tell, even when he's closer.]

Uh, not really. I'm not liking the idea of knowing my future, though. [been there, done that.]

... I could go first if that'll make it easier.

[has just pulled on regular clothes and has (somewhat) gotten used to life back in the base that it's starting to feel a little bit like "home". it's a vague word at this point, knowing the next mission will immediately put him back where he started, but for now, it's a welcome slow down.

he's in the library, tapping at books that don't look interesting but are perfect for passing time. he finds one, some old time english book he probably can't read, but while he's here then he can probably learn.

pulls it down, staring at rey through the shelves.

...]

Rey. [see, i remember.]

Difficult, but not impossible, and she appreciates his help. More than appreciates it. He's protected her, fought for her, treated her so carefully... before she realizes she's reaching for him, she is, soapy hands cupping his cheeks to tilt him closer. Closer to kiss.

And kiss.

And kiss.

Nothing deep or heated, but something which speaks to how she's missed him and needed him--even if she can never quite voice how much she has needed him. He's become as essential to her as her dragons are.

"He'd contacted me when he felt--" Her brows furrow. He doesn't know. "I am Chiron's master."

She doesn't very much like that term of phrase, and she'd told Chiron as much when they'd came to their agreement.

They kiss for a while, under the stream of warm water, in spite of the soap, and the heat, and the relative lack of privacy... but it's an exhausted sort of affection, a need to connect, for each of them to remind the other of their presence.

What she tells him next leaves him confused, though, and he pulls his face back from hers to give her a questioning look.

"His master?"

That's a strange turn of phrase. He would have understood "his queen," but not that.

"It's strange, I know. I still don't fully understand how the contract works myself." Her tongue darts out to moisten already wet lips. "Chiron is--"

Now her brows furrow. Is it her right to speak of what he's confided in her? It seems a betrayal to him. But not telling Jon would be a betrayal as well, she thinks, for this is a bond which goes beyond mind ravens.

"He relies on magic to survive. In his world, there are those like him and they form...a sort of contract with someone who has magic. It allows the--he calls himself and those like him servants. I don't like that, masters and servants." A sigh. "He was not doing well in the tunnels, and though the magic in my veins is meager, it was enough to help him survive Gallipoli."

Frankly, she'd not believed herself capable of having magic at all.

"It also allows for a sort of connection similar and independent to the mind ravens. That's how he knew. He'd contacted me through that link, but the poison had already affected me."

He doesn't say much at first, trying to master the flare of confusion and jealousy. The sound of the water splashing on their bodies and to the ground is the only sound in the room, apart from the few crows playing in the puddles.

Finally, when he speaks, it's halting, uncertain.

"He told me he was a spirit, once. In a dream. That he had died before... I think I told him I had died too. It was my old dream, in the Winterfell crypts, when there were so many troubles with the Shapers.

"I can't begrudge his survival, but... for others to be able to talk to you that way--" The look he gives her is at least partly reproachful.

[ ryo wasn't as accustomed to being alone these days — or maybe he was so accustomed to being alone that he never expected anyone except maybe the one person to come by. so, despite his typical lack of propriety, he gives her a small nod of agreement. his mouth hikes into a small, but reasonably polite smile.

even if he isn't sure what to make of her yet, it was probably better to not tread too hard on toes straight out of the gate. ]

Yeah, [ he says after a short beat, if only due to the way he clears some of his menagerie off the shared table with a comparatively calm hand. half of it goes into his pockets and the other half goes to the seat beside him. ] You can take a seat.

[ it might be a bit evident, actually, that he usually doesn't have much of anyone to talk to or doesn't intentionally engage. either way, he occupies his hands by idling lacing them over his crossed knee and adds: ]

I was used to having a lot of space to myself. [ it feels odd to say that now, but the whole scenario was a bit strange even by his standards. ] But, considering Gallipoli, I can't disagree. I'd say the whole place is a lot roomier by that comparison.

[ with trenches only just wide enough for him to fit the width of his shoulders in some spaces, he'd definitely say so. ]

She meets that look, unflinching. Patient. It would be much the same--her feelings, knowing that Jon shared a bond with another that she could not. Oh, she understands all too well what he means, and she accepts any and every reaction of his to this news.

"I didn't think of him whilst Kebechet interrogated me. I don't think of him now, when I stand with the man who is my husband in all but name."

She lifts her chin, somewhat defiant.

"I told him you are my intended. I asked him to keep you safe."

"And he needed that power not just to live, but also to try to keep me safe."

It's not a question. He'd like to say that he can keep himself safe, but Sansa's words come back to him when it comes to Gallipoli: can anyone really protect anyone? Anyone in the world, when it's so easy to kill someone as far as a mile away? You can't be sure that an arrow will find its target at that distance, but the things they were throwing were more like wildfire.

"What sort of magic did he find in you? The dragons?" He asks out of genuine curiosity. But his embrace isn't tight around her again yet; his hands don't move over her again yet.

I very genuinely do not know. There's been no information given about their horsepower, has there?

[Chiron tilts his head slightly, hoping that 76 might have overheard something that Chiron missed.]

We'll also need to set a finish line.

...I see.

[That's very strange wording, but there's no time to dwell on it. The kelpie's movement is much more important, and Chiron stays exactly where he is. To say he's fond of mythological horses would be an understatement.

The nod he gives the creature is one of understanding, and friendly as well.]

I have no doubt in water spirits. But you're right about the distance. It is a strange thing.

"He did. But he is my friend as well, and I will do what I can to protect those under my care. He tried to save me from the Rhinemaidens."

This would be a point of contention--asking another to protect someone she loves, for it suggests she has little faith in Jon's ability, which is so very far from the truth. To do so with Drogo would be unthinkable, but she hadn't loved him like she does Jon. Daario, though her lover once so long ago, would likely lash out at the thought of her asking another to protect him.

"Fire." She doesn't look happy about any of this. "You're strong, I've never doubted that. But a war's not meant to be fought alone."

I'm barely pulling it.

[ The old, familiar argument makes him smile a little. In all the strangeness of this place, it's reassuring to fall into the same easy banter with her. He moves to sit behind her and start gently combing his fingers through her damp hair. ]

I talked to the centaur. [ That statement, unbelievable. ] He says they'll work on finding me a good dagger, but I have to learn to shoot.

[ Vax sounds resentful of that particular edict, even if he'd already been planning to get lessons from Percy. Feeling so wrong-footed in battle is a new and unwelcome experience for him. Even in the worst of times, as long as he'd had his daggers in hand he'd had a sense of how to handle the worst disasters that befell them. Without that, Vax doesn't know quite how to proceed in this unfamiliar terrain. ]

Maybe they'll be able to come up with some arrows for you. With a catch.

[ Though maybe Vex would be able to bargain her way out of it better than Vax had managed. ]

"No, it isn't."

Something in him capitulates, gruff as he still is, and his hand smooths along her back more firmly, wet strands of her hair sticking to it.

"You needed protecting." Not him -- he was fine. Men were injured badly -- men like Dorian and Sebastian, men who have magic of one kind or another -- getting him and the others in to Mal Tepe. Daenerys is the one who was abducted. "But it all came out well enough in the end.

"Dany, we have to tell each other these things. I don't know what I would have done differently if I'd known, but it might have been that I would have done something."

"I suppose you stay in a humanoid form because it's easier to deal with..." Hux tilted his head, quirked an eyebrow, and, well, "...with everything, really. Most things we're expected to do aren't exactly made for--what you are."

Hux's brow furrows slightly; he is curious, despite himself. The First Order, like the Empire, is species-ist by nature, and think humans to be best form of life--but Hux is a bit less tyrannical about that, than most.

"What exactly are you, though? It's--you have a body similar to a Fathier, but I assume that word means nothing to you."

"It is more subtle, we'll say. It also demands less space, which can be at a premium. I would not have found the trenches manageable like this."

Chiron can only imagine getting stuck in the narrower ones. Embarrassing, to say the very least.

"Your assumption is correct. The appropriate term is centaur. I'm unsure if your constellations are remotely aligned with the ones I know, but Sagittarius is a fairly well known example."

She lifts her brows at him, the only show of a hint of disagreement to her. "When could I have told you? Moments before you left on a diplomatic mission?"

That would have proven a distraction, one they could not afford. Her abduction was a distraction. She couldn't help that.

"This has been a point of contention with those in my inner circle long before you and I met. I will not be coddled. I will not allow others to fight in my stead. I am in this war, be it in Westeros or with COST, much like you are. The two of you traveled together. You were going to be distracted, watching Jeyne. You needed an ally."

He stares at her for a long moment, narrow-eyed with mild displeasure.

"Fine. But I would still have rather that you'd told me. Should I assume in the future that if I'm with Chiron and away from you, he's watching my back? I would assume that anyway." He hesitates, then adds, "Wish I could talk to you with my mind."

That's really all this is about, isn't it? Who's sharing thoughts with whom.

"Did it weaken you?"

"I would hope you would watch each other's backs, honestly." With a quiet huff, she makes a face at him: a wrinkling of her nose, a pursing of her lips. "I do not command either of you. This agreement was strictly for his survival and nothing more."

That expression softens, and she's soon looping her arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

We've the mind ravens, my love. Every morning, every night, and all the moments in between.

"I've not felt a thing. He says this is the servant's responsibility, to protect their master, even with how much mana is utilized."

"We did."

His first reaction to her kiss is mild sulkiness -- no reaction at all -- but half a second later, he turns his head and kisses her mouth.

Not when you're being held. I saw everything we've ever planned or discussed turning to ashes while I was trying to barter for those men's lives. It's good to see your face again.

"You know I can't tell you no -- or yes. You'll do as you will.

"We have to trust each other."

When I was held, none could communicate with me. I'd tried the BCE, I'd tried Chiron. Nothing worked. The contract was as useless as this stupid thing was.

A hand slips to his cheek; she keeps them close as she lengthens the duration of the kiss. Light little nips interspersed with affection, still so innocent, when usually, she'd have done something to intensify it.

You missed my face, did you?

When she pulls back, she bats her lashes at him. It's so silly and ridiculous, but she thinks he needs that.

"I trust you with my heart and my life, Jon. The contract is meant to be a temporary thing; if you'd rather me break the tie with him, I will."

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THE AMAZING BASE.

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