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

[prizeneck]

[He begins to walk, making the cane swing from side to side, tapping lightly. While Mamoru usually doesn't do it often in places he's not entirely accustomed to, he slips his other hand in his pocket. He has been mapping the ship in his head long enough, creating enough sound, texture and kinetic landmarks, to not need to run the back of that hand over the surface of the walls to guide him.

A good thing too, he couldn't really count the times he got a wet sleeve from ripped piping that caused water - or whatever liquid that was - to flow along the wall, and had been almost electrocuted by exposed wiring if he hadn't been alerted by the sudden zzzsnap of a livewire at his left. ]

Yeah, COST wants to make sure people are ready for wherever, or whenever, we get deployed. [He can't help but groan a bit at the next thought.] Not to mention we have people here who are far from experienced fighters.

[prizeneck]

[A snort.] Know a few boxers who would tell ya different.

[While Mamoru has been a purist in some things, he does realize the advantage of bringing a hybrid of different schools, different techniques, hell, entirely different modalities, into a fight. He does get the gist of it. Exhertion to find some clearness of mind. Interesting that this guy seems to need both that and a bottle of whiskey to have some sort of success.

Then again, he had met two teachers who could still work at their best with a stomach full of bourbon. As long as they kept their wits to them and didn't endanger others, Mamoru had no problems with.

He actually ponders about the reply to that question for a second, a shoulder rolling lower as he tilts his head:] Method alone doesn't make miracles. Think there's a point to follow one if the end result is shitty?

[bloodings]

Think you'll get an answer?

[ It's almost a rhetorical question. Whether he does or not changes little; the Regency know who they are, and they have to deal with what that potentially means. ]

Even if they erased the "me" in the past, I'd continue to exist in this form. That's how Servants work. [ She hm's a little. ] Of course, I have no intention of letting them do that. The rest of you aren't my responsibility, but if we beat them, you won't have to worry.

[ Tsun, etc. ]

[horsepowered]

Such a reminder does make me glad that I do not need to eat so long as I have mana. [Chiron's opinions on food are pretty unassuming, he'll enjoy a meal as much as anyone, but now being tethered to a mana source does come with a small luxury.]

That's true enough. Scent or touch can be just as much a problem. Mouths are just a quicker route to determining the problem and being able to source is quickly. [Going past a plant several hours ago? Much harder.

But never mind the plants. Chiron leans in quietly as Dorian explains the Qunari and their approach to life, and the growing frown on Chiron's face shows exactly what his opinion on the concept of living under the Qun is. It's disapproving, painfully so.]

Even the Spartans, as organized and domineering as they are, would not think of a system so rigid and all consuming. I cannot imagine a society functioning under such a construct and...I believe I will not ask what they demand of their mages. Better to be ignorant on that, I believe.

[Or at least they both need to have a drink in them.]

For the mages in my world, you can actually stop being a mage in a meaningful way. That's actually tied into being the family heir as well. Curious that this particular fact aligns.

[lefthandfree]

The offer comes as a surprise. Even as casually as they’ve conversed, even as naturally as the words had come out of Henry’s mouth, fancy accent and all, Bucky’s lived in a world where the thought of being wanted by anyone is basically nonexistent, all flattery and compliments just sugary words to win his trust. He looks at Henry briefly with his brows raised, wondering if the suggestion will be retracted as a joke. When it isn’t, and he realizes the offer is genuine, his brows furrow in concern.

Not that Henry would likely be aware, but Bucky isn’t exactly unaccustomed to the notion of fooling around with friends. He’d done plenty of it when he was younger, less neurotic, but those situations had also been quite different, the options of friends far and wide even if one of his relationships went south because things hadn’t gone quite right. Here, with COST, it proves a different gamble.

“We’d still be friends if I don’t like it, right?” He doesn’t want to offend Henry or put him off; he’s damn swell in Bucky’s eyes. But even as generous as the proposal comes, especially with the mellow back and forth they’ve had for the last while in mind, the last thing Bucky wants to do is complicate things between them.

♥

[handsomefoil]

[ His dignity and entire self dampened, he tries to laugh it off even as he's helped up onto his feet. Still, he does feel pretty embarrassed about being dragged into the water by a weird flying magical hammer. Thor's nakedness isn't a shock to him even at this proximity since he's already aware of this fact. They're all adults here...even if does try not to stare. ]

It's quite alright, I suppose I deserved that. Guess my curiosity got the best of me.

[ He starts heading to shore, stripping his shirt off to squeeze the water out of it. Better dry these clothes out before trying to move on (or back to BASE, even). ]

I don't think I would've touched it if I knew it could do that.

[handsomefoil]

Henry can see the expressions flit across his tent mate's face, as if trying to suss out whether the offer was a serious offer or not. He's tempted to express his own sincerity or incredulity, whatever works at the time, but he keeps the look on his very neutral. He doesn't want to influence Bucky's decision whatsoever, but just give him the option should he want to try.

He doesn't like to assume that what he considers normal is normal to others, but it's not wrong to assume that Henry isn't aware. Just from the new bits of information alone, his presumption is that people were a little more conservative back then.

"Of course."

He takes the question as a reply. It insinuates that he's going for it, so he leans in and closes the gap with practiced precision. Eyes closed, and head tilted just right to press his lips against Bucky's, he keeps his hands to himself for now and holds it for a respectable amount of time.

[lefthandfree]

While reserved behavior had certainly been standard of the time, it never meant society was without variation. Ultimately, teenaged years went about the same even in those days, not that it’d be commonly seen in textbooks, but why would anyone report on such matters in cultural history anyway? Should anyone wish to, they likely would have been deemed a pervert of some nature, especially because of the social conservative secularism of the era.

Bucky’s answer had certainly been a reply of sorts, especially in the literal sense as it was obvious affirmation that he didn’t mind the idea. It hadn’t exactly been intended as a go, however.

Tensing in surprise when Henry leans in, Bucky relaxes once he realizes what Henry is actually doing, though the suddenness of it still leaves him rather shocked and despite the respectful lingering contact, Bucky doesn’t respond in kind through the gesture, his own eyes a wide in astonishment.

When Henry withdraws, he huffs, “I wasn’t ready yet,” a slight furrow set in his brow and mild indignance in his tone.

[handsomefoil]

The reply does have him realizing that maybe he jumped the gun there a little, whoops. Still, he doesn't react with any embarrassment or any remorse as a matter of fact, simply sitting back and nodding.

"Sorry about that."

There's a sort of expectancy in his pose, leaning on one arm, letting the drawing pad sort of hang out in his lap entirely forgotten. Sorry Bucky, he's assuming (again) that you're OK with another attempt. At least this time, he'll be sure.

"Let me know when you're ready."

[ergosphere]

"I've never ridden a dragon," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "I don't know how it would compare."

A living animal might be more temperamental than a machine, but he knew a few machines with a life of their own. Those ones usually deserved to be scrapped. After another moment's hesitation, he walked closer, but didn't climb on just yet.

"At least tell me you understand the acceleration and the brakes." Steering was secondary, honestly.

[lefthandfree]

The pose is rather patronizing, even if perfectly normal as a reaction (well, normal because it’s them and probably not normal for most other people), so Bucky huffs (again), shaking his head slightly to get the grumpiness out before setting aside his drawing paper and pen.

“If I’m gonna do it at all, I wanna do it right,” he explains before smoothly leaning in, tilting his head the same way as Henry had before and reaching out with his right hand to catch Henry’s the curve of Henry’s neck with his fingers, thumb comfortably settled against his jaw. His eyes are closed this time when their lips meet, Bucky’s attempt less chaste than Henry’s but still maintaining a respectful weight and not demanding more than necessary.

[ergosphere]

[Kylo was fairly far from BASE himself, though he wasn't meditating or reflecting on nature. He was just walking, feeling disconnected from himself and everything he'd achieved back home now that he had the freedom to think on it. When the silence settled in, his steps slowed, and finally stopped when he spotted her. Of course. This again.]

No, it doesn't. I wonder if this means we're meant to speak about something.

Or it means nothing at all. Just a by-product of Snoke's tampering.

[He didn't really believe that, though, as convenient an excuse as it would be. For as much as he struggled and fought to control the Force for his own powers, he wasn't so foolish as to think it made him immune this sort of... interference.]

[excelsus]

[Not that his staff would be a tool easily broken, but all the same he appreciates the interest enabling John's respect of this piece of Dorian's property. Not that there is much in the way of stuff that can actually be damaged in this room that leaves Dorian with something less to be concerned about given that most of the stuff he did keep would be dangerous to destroy...well, where he was from anyway.

Taking John's request to heart Dorian conjures up two bottles of wine instead of one, it will set him back a few bottles, but occasions do call for more than one bottle of fine wine and he's certain John could drink an entire bottle on his own, call it a hunch, but their time spent together on the boat was a good indicator of the man's drinking habits. Those habits either matched or exceeded Dorian's own and Dorian was quite the drunkard.

Along with two bottles Dorian withdrew the blade normally affixed to his staff so that he could re-purpose it into a sort of cork saber. It was no cork screw, but it did the job and Dorian doubted very much that he would have any need of the corks, certain the wine in both bottles would be finished before this was all over.]

To being ill-bred plebeians then. I don't trust a gentleman anyway...all that niceness, it gets a bit too...nice [Dorian passes John the first opened bottle before prying the cork out of his and taking a deep drought]...before you know it all that niceness melts into something else...pious bastards.

[handsomefoil]

He watches Bucky curiously as he sets his stuff aside, eyes flitting from the paper to Bucky's face as if not sure what to expect. Like he didn't expect him to just go all in like that. Of course, he's pleasantly surprised because while chaste is nice and all, the 'proper' way to do it appeals to him the most. Never really one to half-ass anything unless he's forced to, this is ideal.

So as he watches Bucky lean in this time, his eyelids lower a little in anticipation and eases into the touch by tilting his head in to match. This feels good, and he's glad to see that Bucky is not a bad kisser in the least. Wanting to see how much he can get away with, he parts his lips ever so slightly to draw the kiss in a little deeper. He doesn't use any effort on his part, just naturally letting the weight that Bucky puts forth to do so.

[lefthandfree]

The first thing he really notices is that kissing Henry isn’t much like how kissing any other gal has been. He’s not soft or sweet; he's firmer and more appraising, even a bit challenging. Not demanding or rough in the least, but there’s a force behind Henry’s movements that Bucky’s never really felt when kissing women. It’s different in a way Bucky isn’t sure what to make of it yet. While it definitely isn’t what he’d expected, especially as his mind had mostly projected his experiences with women, something about the quiet demand in the way Henry’s lips meet his own makes the action feel more satisfying.

When the other man moves to deepen the kiss, Bucky reacts instinctively, matching the motion and catching Henry’s lips again. Not that he’s become a mind reader and knows Henry’s thoughts, but when Bucky said he wanted to do it right, he wasn’t bluffing. For a risk taker like him, half-assing anything invites failure, and he’s not in the habit of doing anything without going all in if he decides to do it.

[gerechtigkeit]

Because I don't think many people would name a dog "Jumper."

[It's offered with honesty, though maybe it's a bit of a joke. It's hard to tell with Siegfried.

His dog tilts her head and makes a bit of a whimper at the name. It doesn't seem like she'll like it.]

That's not good enough, is it? [She barks, loudly.] Well, that settles that.

[lonelywar]

[There is a feeling that accompanies starting a journey. It is usually unique to the journey itself. When Ashitaka left to journey west, searching for a way to cure himself of his curse, it had been a heavy sort of feeling that settled across his shoulders like a heavy drape, weighing on his chest like the claws of the demon's curse slowly sinking deeper and deeper in. This is almost entirely opposite. He feels liberated, leaving behind all of the things that had plagued him from the end of the last mission. They were not gone by any means, but he could put them aside for the time being, focusing on this far more exciting possibility of a wide open world ready to be discovered rather than continuing to plumb the depths of his concerns for their overall mission.

The overall climate here is different from what he was used to, the types of plants and animals already stark in contrast as they set out just a short ways. Ashitaka could push Yakul to be faster than the pace he has set him on, but he's being cautious for now, unsure of what unique qualities the landscape this place might have. The animal also doesn't have endless stamina, and he knows it's best to go slow and steady.

He glances over his shoulder as Kruger calls out, tugging gently at the reins to slow Yakul. It's been a decent while since they set out. He's right: now's as good a time as any.]

We stop here, then. [He continues to guide Yakul to a halt.] We know little of this place. We should see what the area is like close to BASE, so we have means of comparing it to different locations.

[handsomefoil]

Henry had also started off with the 'but I'm straight?' mentality long ago, and had discovered that kissing men while an action similar to kissing any woman had a different tonal quality to it. The feeling was addictive in a no strings attached way, as most other men he'd 'hooked up' with were similar— then again, he purposely played the role of a sexually interested party in his jobs for men that fit the profile and were integral to the process. He rarely went around wooing people (men or women alike) for the hell of it. He was a married man, dammit!

Keyword: Was.

But oh. This is a good reaction, he thinks. It immediately encourages him to match the effort, so he brings a hand up to rest on the back of the one resting on his neck and jawline. It grips gently as he continues to kiss him, putting more weight into it and parting his lips a little more with each kiss, the soft slick noises overlapping their breathing. He even glides the tip of his tongue along his lower lip, brushing against Bucky's for just a flicker of a moment.

[lefthandfree]

In all his years, Bucky’s never known anyone to actually match his ardor, guide alongside and share the effort needed to continue and deepen. Even when exploring, he’d often carried the bulk of the burden, which he had never minded doing (it was expected anyway, chivalry and all), but that he doesn’t need to do so here and now is starkly new and stimulating by contrast.

He sighs between kisses and short breaths, tension in his shoulders draining away, and his left hand carefully finds Henry’s side, sliding around and cupping his back rather than grasping on as Bucky is well aware of needing to be careful with the metal limb whenever using it with anything that isn’t stiff like the metal of his knife.

Feeling Henry’s tongue brush against him, he feels a tad more daring. Eyes peeking open, he parts his lips further, tongue dipping out to trace along the gap of Henry’s lips. The invitation for Henry to continue on is clear.

[handsomefoil]

He leaves it at that, simply nodding a couple of times to himself. If he doesn't make a big deal of it, neither will Henry.

"No, but... now it will." And he presses the scanning option from his BCE, recording what he can as quickly as possible. "Come across anything interesting during your trek? I imagine with such a complex ecosystem, there's tons of species we've never come across before."

[handsomefoil]

[ They're on a bike, riding along the back of a gigantic space/aether fish that can talk, complete with a lush ecosystem— they'll have plenty of time to think about the nuances of time travel at a later time. Or never. Doesn't really matter to Henry in the long run.

He hums, remembering his surprise at the 'gifts'. ]

Lots of booze. Lots of suits. Looks like someone thinks I'm attending a red carpet event.

[handsomefoil]

[ Ah, the majyks magic. He knows it's a broad term to explain the unexplained, but it still has him chuckling. ]

Is that so? And what are these mundanes? Non-magical folk like myself?

[handsomefoil]

As he feels the tension start to melt away, Henry lets his hands wander a little bit. It's easier to relax into the kissing now, though it's not to say he was so tense or stressed to begin with but... well, there's always a little apprehension in the beginning.

Then there's the metal hand and it's not as hard or rough as he imagined it to be, though he contributes that to just Bucky being gentle. It feels weirdly good though, and he scoots in a little closer so that he can put both his hands on the guy. He takes both the touch to his side and the taste of his tongue as an invitation to just continue on like this wasn't some sort of experiment. They're way beyond that now.

With a soft, low sound inside his mouth he opens his mouth to deepen the kiss and slides his fingers forward to comb through his hair by his neck to keep him close while the other rests atop his thigh and grips the material of his pants. Not that he thinks Bucky needs the encouragement, but still, it feels good this way. He dips his tongue in a little more here and there to taste, thoroughly enjoying the rubbing of their ruddy lips. Each shift of their bodies makes the tent squeak a little protest, and he's all but forgotten about the weird deer outside.

[handsomefoil]

Henry would've been content to simply converse with the kid like this, where he'd just draw or mind his own business while the kid talked, but the 'sir' added at the end has him looking over with an arched eyebrow. He's not used to the title, but he can't say he hates it either. He'd be glad to know that he didn't look over before he'd called him sir, though. Being saluted would've been Just as strange.

Also he has weird name. Like a robot or something.

"I'm Henry," he says, biting back the 'just Henry' that lingers on his tongue. "That's your name?"

He looks at him now, taking in the strange details of this... YorHa unit.

[lefthandfree]

The lack of hesitance and the way Henry draws even closer evokes a long, pleased sigh through Bucky’s nose. He’d never anticipated how naturally they could flow from indulging a curiosity to simply taking the delightful thrill that permeates the moment they’re in right now, but it stirs Bucky’s appreciation for having a friend like Henry all the more.

There are very few who do not judge Bucky’s every action, even as a stranger to the others within COST, and there are lesser still those who are willing to give back as evenly as Bucky dishes out himself. Maybe he should have taken the fact Henry had easily joined him in conversing about the idiotic supposition of what life would be like if everyone had wheels for feet as a sign, but Henry’s lack of apprehension now is the confirmation.

It’s as they continue kissing, quiet, wet smacks and chirps of suction filling the air around them, that Bucky gradually realizes why exactly their actions seem to satiate an unknown need within him. While he’s had his share of meaningless kisses with strangers since being freed from Hydra’s grasp (never taking it too far; he can’t risk anything more than a makeout or two with someone he’ll never see again), none of those had brought with it an informed desire. Henry knows what kind of man he is, what he’s capable of, and still wants to kiss someone like him. This is no longer the test it had started as but genuine interaction, and Henry has not only drawn closer but reached for him, grasped on without pity.

Someone knows the monster and honestly still wants him.

The realization is so jarring that he doesn’t even really have the capacity to wonder why he’s still sitting here making out with a guy.