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

[raisedbybirds]

[She nods, wondering if he can hear that too.]

The Echo Visor, something I obtained from from a fallen Luminoth champion long ago.

[There are words there he probably has no understanding or context of and she pauses only to remind herself it's not going to compromise anything out of her life if she explains. It's all history now, anyway. Despite that, her tone is very narrative, almost impersonal.]

They were... a bipedal moth-like race. Their home planet was split into a realm of light and dark and on the brink of destruction. The Echo Visor helped me pierce through that darkness using echolocation.

[She snaps her fingers again after he's got his shades back on.]

This would show up as circular ripples in space instead of on a neat wire frame. It was hardly as sophisticated as yours.

[Which says a lot when she is otherwise used to very advanced technology.]

[lefthandfree]

Snorting quietly, Bucky releases a short, pleased laugh, muttering a thanks with the shake of his head. There’s something comfortably familiar about the way their banter always plays out, and he can never find reason to complain. Even as familiarity is something he tries to distance himself from, the easiness that comes with speaking so frankly and thoughtlessly eases the tension in his frame and draws out a peace he’d long left behind. Try as he might to deny himself, it all comes as simply as breathing. And with Henry’s own words of encouragement just now, well...

It’s somewhat surprising to here that Henry’s been married. Not so much the part about having married in the first place—there’s no doubt that Henry would be quite the catch for someone—but more the fact he’s apparently divorced. For such a seemingly easy to get along with guy, it’s rather astounding that someone could find conflict with him. Or perhaps it is a conflict of a different nature. Bucky doesn’t really know of course, and if he were more curious toward the why, he would have asked. Except Henry saying “he” rather than “she” proves to be far more curious than the other question.

“Wait, ‘he’?” There’s no judgement in the words, only confusion. As far as Bucky has known, his presumption from their interactions was that Henry is straight. Of course, being from a dated time frame, Bucky is also not familiar with the fact that stereotypes from his era are wholly inaccurate and that bisexuality is a thing, so please excuse his unintended rudeness.

“You’re gay?” Obviously implying verbally to Henry that he’d assumed Henry was straight. Maybe because Henry seems outright like a ladies man (I mean, look at him), but regardless of the particulars, there’s a clear disconnect between what Henry’s been saying, what Bucky’s understood, and something about how sexuality and attraction works aside from between a man and a woman since Bucky obviously understands that like the back of his hand.

[courtintrigue]

[ Though her eyes betray her amusement, it is not unkind. Clearly he was not going to ask if he was willing to leave just as soon as he arrived, but she could never fault him for feeling curious. Shapeshifting is not so common even in her own world. ]

Where does one start.

[ She gives a general gesture to the room. She typically prefers to learn by doing when she has the opportunity, but books have their uses. The two on the table beside her look wildly different, one a glossy paperback on witch trials in a place called Salem and the other an old leather-bound book with the words To My Fellow Wardens barely visible on the cover. ]

I will not say good. [ It may be that her tongue is a bit looser at this point but she thinks nothing of it. ] Interesting, perhaps. But I tire of Earth.

[courtintrigue]

Fewer dragons. [ Her lips half-curl. ] Precisely the same number of fairies.

[ His experience with this kind of life seems much more significant than her own. With her hair more or less out of her face again she raises her eyebrows at him. ]

Do you always come to gyms to banter?

[handsomefoil]

Maybe that's what it was. The ease of familiarity is not something he comes across so readily, whether it's during leisure or work. So to find himself camping on the back of an ancient aether fish-god or whatever, in a tear-drop shaped tent hanging off of a tree, sharing it with a guy wielding a metal arm is almost bizarre. He didn't expect to go around sharing his personal life with some guy he just recently met.

Also he doesn't even think that Bucky was from a time period way beyond what he thinks he's from, and is left sort of glancing over at him in silence as Bucky asks his questions. Being 'gay' wasn't a non-issue where he was from, he's pretty sure some people still have hang-ups over that, but it wasn't as big of an issue anymore.

"Well, no..." He sort of elongates that 'o', trying to be as tasteful about this conversation as he can. "I had a wife. I'm not keen on categorizing myself, but I fancy either or."

He could be bi, or pan, for all he knows. He'd just never really bothered to explore it beyond what was already available at his fingertips.

[mcscouty]

You laugh. Mom used to say I got plenty of exercise running my mouth and pushing my luck.

[ He snickers faintly, pushing away from the door and letting himself in. It's all still new territory for him, and his eyes dart everywhere they can.

Plenty of room to maneuver. Exit's obvious. And it looks like it's just the two of them, for the moment. He's not in any real danger, but it's second nature to go down the checklist just in case.

When his dark eyes land on Morrigan again, both eyebrows lift in question, before he gestures at her stance. ]

Who taught you to hit?

[lefthandfree]

The ease with which the truth and Bucky’s honest reactions slip from him should be indicative enough of how mutual the relaxed nature of their interactions has become for the soldier. Sure, they’d had silly conversations before, but hardly things so personal or meaningfully shared.

And it’s not even that Bucky thinks poorly of anyone who’s gay either. He’s certainly known his own share of queer individuals (as it was known to him then; he only knows that gay is preferred now to specify gay men specifically). His experience, however, doesn’t quite inform him to the option of I like what I like, whatever that happens to be, which traps him in an odd mentality of presuming that one can only be straight or gay and not anything else. Secular comprehension of sexuality was quite stunted in his youth, so, once again, please excuse his unintended rudeness.

Since Henry has outright detailed that he’s apparently slept with both, it thankfully bypasses Bucky’s need to ask the particulars of those bits of information. But it still leaves him confused, his dated logic about sexual interest being primitive compared to anyone who was raised in the more modern era.

“You can do that?” This is clearly a new concept for him. Not the or, of course, but the either.

[prizeneck]

[He nods, although there’s a frown angling his eyebrows.]

That’s a planet, then? Not one I’ve heard of.

[Although he doesn’t look that surprised. He did meet some people in Gallipoli who talked about other unknown planets, even traveling between them.

He doesn’t hear her nodding unless she is wearing her hair down - if so, the hair brushing her shoulders would rustle just enough for him to get the motion. He’s nodding at the snap and pushes his shades a little higher.]

You can actually set these to do that. Helped me out when I was in a place where the echo was too much to give me a decent layout.

[eyedrop]

I'm used to sleeping like this.

[ All right, not exactly like this. He doesn't live in a wondrous, verdant jungle. A few foxwealds keep pawing at him inquisitively, though most of them have fled the scene. He looks like he doesn't mind them. ]

Sort of.

[handsomefoil]

He definitely looks confused. Henry isn't sure how to interpret that, other than this guy's either been living under a rock or is from an alternate version of Earth that hasn't really broken any barriers in terms of sexuality. Maybe it's a combination of reasons. Whatever it is, he gets the feeling he's going to be doing the explaining today.

"Yes," he replies plainly, trying not to sound incredulous (at least he's doing well there). "I haven't gone around proposing to men, mind you."

Sex and whatnot is one thing, but a full-blown relationship and marriage is something he can't really bring himself to think about anymore. It didn't work last time with the woman he felt was his soulmate, so why would it work with someone he didn't feel the same away about?

"Just casual things. I'll kiss a man if I like him enough."

And then some, but he leaves it at that.

Re: iv

[mylawn]

[76 certainly isn't one to comment on anyone's mood--his general defualt is surly, after all, but he does take note of the fact that Hei doesn't seem to be having a very good time. For that reason alone, 76 is glad to take him on board, because nobody should have to walk long distances on this unpredictable terrain. He nods and lets Hei clamber on, shifting his weight in the seat to balance them both.

The way the bike accelerates is less-than-impressive, and it's not exactly the smoothest ride, but 76 is used to it by now.

It's a little hard to hear Hei over the wind, so he raises his voice a little when he responds.]

Seems to me they don't have much of a choice, if they want to get this done.

[Suffice to say, he's not sure if putting trust in this group is a good thing, either.]

[mylawn]

[76 doesn't bother to reply, understanding that this is all the setup necessary. He, too, arrives outside of BASE head-to-toe in tactical gear, apparently preparing for the worst when it comes to navigating an alien wilderness. Similarly, it's not at all difficult to find the recruit he's been texting with.

If he's at all fazed by the armor, he doesn't show it.]

Good way to lose a finger.

[Though 76 does hope that anyone tossing a knife up and down like that knows what they're doing with it.]

You ready?

[lefthandfree]

Even without the incredulity literally in Henry’s tone, Bucky’s perceptive enough to realize he’s started to make Henry rather startled with his initial reaction, planned or not (definitely not planned). It’s then that he lowers his pen (it had been upright all during, poised to continue drawing despite his focus on the drawing having been lost) and lifts his left hand defensively.

“I. Don’t mean any offense. If. That’s how you...” He could shove more meaningless words here but decides it might be better to just tell it as it is. “Look, I don’t know if you’re from the same world I’m from, but, uh, I grew up in the twenties. So.”

Assuming that means anything to Henry, he can likely fill in the rest of the blanks: archaic comprehension, probably never learned the normally way, etcetera, etcetera. It doesn’t really explain why modern concepts aren’t a mystery to him or why the hell he has a metal arm if he’s from that far “back in the day”, but it at least gives context to Bucky’s immediate confusion.

Which has now been somewhat cleared up now with Henry’s patience. Thanks, pal.

“So, what, you hook up with guys but only marry gals?” It’s a swing in the dark. This is clearly such a new idea to him that he doesn’t really get it yet.

sure let's go with that

[horsepowered]

[The only way that Chiron is capable of tracking 76's progress is the sound of the bike itself. It's distinct, and while gear shifts aren't things Chiron's familiar with, he can at least conclude that there is something happening that's to his advantage.

It's only halfway through that Chiron even calls out:]

You're not running into any problems, are you?

[horsepowered]

Part of Chiron thought that overseeing was more like herding cats, but he could also think of one or two other individuals who probably would be willing to help. There were names that spring to mind.

"Then there's no harm in making an attempt. We may need to pick an area to concentrate on though, and admit that there's no way we'll get to all areas of this magnificent creature."

That last part is coupled with a note of disappointment. Chiron really would love to spend a lifetime or two here.

[inconstantly]

Yeah. Wizard. Mage. Sorcerer. All sorts of names for it. Doesn't matter much to me.

[When he speaks it's with a distracted tone, mental energy focused on that damn hammer. John wracks his mind with ideas, flickering through various spells and enchantments in his mind's eye. Nothing seems useful.

Maybe it was time for a more solid, direct approach.

John takes "help yourself" fully literally and climbs onto Thor's bed. It's not exactly the way he'd expected to first share a bed with someone here. He pushes the sleeves further up his arms and pulls again at the handle, grinding his teeth with a drawn out grunt. Still nothing.

Stupid piece of shit.]

So really now, what's the trick? I am not about to use my mouth if it's truly that discerning.

[inconstantly]

Now just wait a minute, squire.

[John squints, waving a hand as if to physically roll the conversation back.]

What's all this about systems and moving into them? What you're saying makes absolutely no sense. Except the sharper tongues bit. That part is completely true.

[horsepowered]

Ah, my apologies. From what I've come to understand, different times and places run on different magical rules. Systems of how it all works. Is that a better clarification?

[bivariant]

"While I appreciate having at least a few square inches of flesh unmarred by battle, I'll complete the collection one of these days," because underneath, she is littered with scars. Old blade-wounds, burns from white-hot formations, the crook of her elbow a tangle of teeth marks from when she'd undone a woman's spine as she'd tried to saw through her flesh and bone with the only weapon available to her at that point. "What do you think -- temple, nose or jaw?"

She's being cheeky again.

And she's moving to his side, to shine her flashlight into the dusty, poorly-lit depths of the room. It looked promising enough, but honestly, she's only in the market for what will help back at BASE and anything weird or unique enough to make him happy. Or something. I guess. "Incoming," she warns, and then ducks by him. Both her, and her shadow-briefly-full-of-eyes, vanish into the deeper dark of the room beyond. Her voice trails back: "Oh look, there's a lot of boxes. That's a lot of potential surprises for you."

[doublejumps]

[ Genji's voice is definitely modulated in some way, which is something that might have been less obvious back in Gallipoli, with the artificial skin in place to muffle it. ]

Training? Will we get the chance to do that before the next mission, then?

[ Not that Genji would necessarily need it, but it also depends on where (or rather, when) they'll be going.

He's quick to move to Mamoru's side, nodding gratefully to this man he wouldn't mind calling friend. ]

[desynched]

[ Lena zips over to the mats, eager to get started.

She gives him a wry smile. ]

Might've picked up a few new tricks, yeah.

[ Not being able to use her powers in Gallipoli had been stifling. And there's no one else who could help her shake off some of that rust and restlessness quite like Genji could. ]

Hand-to-hand or with weapons?

[desynched]

Thanks! [ She grins brightly. ] I'll be more careful-- you'd probably prefer to add the special effects in later, yeah?

[ Lens flare, gradient, whatever. Look, she's not a photographer. ]

No, no. I mean it looks like it, doesn't it? But it's actually a side-effect of my condition.

[eyedrop]

[ He kneels beside the shell in question, rapping it with his knuckles. Rock solid. ]

Not a bad idea.

[ He taps the scarf with one hand; with the other, he's prying the shell loose from the remains of the vines. ]

That's the primary goal. It's made of carbon fiber and a steel alloy.

[ Aizawa's so fresh on the scene that he's barely had time to be homesick, but there is something to be said for any spot of familiarity. ]

[handsomefoil]

The twenties, huh? That actually surprises Henry enough that he falls silent, trying to recall his lessons in World history from high-school. Regardless, that's not the point. The point is, that was a long-ass time ago, and the fact that Bucky is reacting in a way that's actually not as bad as it could've been is equally shocking.

Of course, all the other mysteries mentioned above apply. He doesn't have the time to go through all the questions in his head about the nuances, but at least he can address the main issue first. All the others can come up later. He shakes his head in response, as if to say it's quite alright, don't even worry about it.

"It's not so cut-and-dry like that, but I suppose that's what it sounds like, doesn't it?" He coughs into his hand, as if to mask any awkwardness but easily composes himself. "I'll hook up with whomever I please, but I just happened to marry a woman. We were both...very young. I thought she was the one."

Sometimes he still feels that way, but he won't voice that here.

[eyedrop]

I'm fine.

[ His response is so quick and toneless that it might as well be automated. And it is, in a sense; he hears that from everybody, and he dismisses the assessment every time. As she goes on, he wonders what she's trying to do. Mother him? Kill him with kindness? In any case, he's just shaking his head. ]

Get a drink if you want. But don't worry about me.

[ He lifts a hand. ]

As long as you're not loud, we'll get along fine.