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

[faenthras]

We're pretty good at managing terrible situations.

[ Isn't that what the last six or so months of their lives been? One big terrible situation. They managed it, often by the skin of their teeth. It's a habit, she thinks, that they fell into a long time ago, a habit that will likely never go away. Vox Machina are survivors if nothing else, assholes determine to survive as long as they can, gods and fates be damned.

Vex sinks a little lower into the water, watching as he removes the jacket, water sticking the shirt underneath to his chest. A view she appreciates, lips curving into a familiar smile.

Did I miss anything?

It falters at the question, eyes widening as the question sinks into her mind.

Was I gone long?

Vex breathes in, dropping her gaze to the surface of the water. It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? After their conversation on the boats she knew he would ask, seek out more than what she gave him. It's only fair, of course, that she tells him all she knows. ]

About a day. [ Her gaze goes back to him. ] We needed rest, after the battle we were all exhausted and... [ Emotional. ] We made a blanket fort in the mansion with you, which is a little morbid saying it out loud. But Keyleth made little fireflies so it was a kinda cute.

[ Not that many of them noticed it, wrapped up in their own misery. ]

We took you home that morning and immediately went to Pike.

[heilt]

( no. maybe. angela is used to being incredible busy but on this base it's very different. what is recuperation )

I was simply checking in after the mission.

[heilt]

( there's a gentle chuckle at the fact that genji has to remind her to look after herself, and though it's amusing it is accurate -- angela does spend more time caring for others than for herself. whilst she wouldn't go so far as to say she lets herself get in a state the occasional reminder is appreciated.

and at least it's a gentle nudge. genji knows not to push too much, changing as swiftly to the next topic as he might dart with his sword )

I was going to give you a general tour. ( because let's be honest angela hasn't used too many of the bases facilities, not the ones that genji may appreciate )

Before getting you checked out.

( gotta make sure he's okay from the jump and war )

[fessus]

Wow, you can actually laugh.

--look, my point's just that "wet things will dry" isn't really conversation material. That's just obvious filler.

[doublejumps]

[ Genji is all too familiar with the glitch, being a victim of it himself, but it still doesn't explain why COST would be interested in recruiting civilians. It seems that the answer boils down to being desperate. They weren't going to turn anyone away, apparently.

For all that someone might want to help, though, fighting in an active warzone is on a whole other level. Genji doubts that there are any psychologists on-board to help with potential PTSD, either.

He's thinking that all over when Mamoru comes to a stop. Genji pauses, leaning forward slightly to poke his head into the room. It has Bad Feeling written all over it. ]

I'm... not sure that's the word I'd use. We can take a look, though.

[ With no further hesitation, he steps inside. There's an eerie feel about the place, in large part because of the closed pods in the middle of the room. The sauna units look a little more appropriate to a spa, but even they have clinical designs. ]

Not as relaxing as it should be, is it?

[heilt]

I'm afraid not.

( considering the availability of clothes on the base she'd only taken things for herself )

How does it feel?

[heilt]

( her exam begins quietly, manipulating joints, checking for injuries, fingers working over old wounds. she doesn't ask anymore if something hurts, knowing he'll speak up if she needs to know something. at least that was how it used to be )

What happened after I left?

( her question is quiet, barely audible, mixed in as she keeps examining him )

[faenthras]

[ She'd definitely agree, were the subject to come up. There isn't much of an attachment to deer than bears with her, the latter hold something of extremely sentimental place in her heart. Signs of her show on her face as she watches them, a twinge of sadness, longing. Things might be a little easier with Trinket, for herself as well as her brother.

Vex shifts a little, picking one of her collected feathers to spin between her fingers. It's nice to just sit, a stark contrast to the chaos of Gallipoli, and relax for a moment. To take a much needed breath. ]

Neither have I. This fish has an assortment of creatures I've never seen before.

[ And she comes from a place where dragons exist. ]

[doublejumps]

[ Genji doesn't want to assume that the future is written in stone, so he isn't likely to ask about that. He's more curious about the beast itself, but there are still countless options.

The question isn't unreasonable, and Genji smiles behind his faceplate as he shakes his head. ]

Most of it is a part of me, so no. It's quite comfortable.

[ That didn't used to be the case, but... details. ]

[mylawn]

Something like that.

[He manages an exasperated laugh, knowing full well that he is not quite old enough for a retirement home, nor does he think he could ever content with retirement. It's not who he is--76 will keep fighting until there are no more wars to fight, and then he's not sure what will happen after that.]

Think they can keep us from getting older in the meantime?

[Maybe she doesn't have to worry about that, but he's perhaps a little concerned with spending years here, then getting dumped back exactly where he left--his world unchanged, but not him.]

[horsepowered]

...In that case, I'd simply just go find him and walk away from the overthinking about asking for favors.

[It seems a simple and direct thing to do. Chiron does not have a good handle on Vax's personality though, or how his mind works, and so any hesitation is something he dismisses outright.]

Oh, doubtlessly. This is the sort of world that one dreams of getting to spend time in, I believe. Completely uncharted, and where genuinely everything is new. No conflict either, just the exhilaration of exploration.

[inconstantly]

[John frowns as Dorian speaks, resting his free hand on his friend's thigh. The way the man brings up a memory only to quickly move past it is a move that John would have done himself. He's not going to press if Dorian doesn't want to talk, he's no one's damn therapist, but he does find himself giving half a shit. How annoying.]

You're absolutely right though. I don't like being told what to do at all.

[He shakes his head, frown turning to a wry tug of the lips as he brushes his thumb back and forth against the thigh.]

Look at us, two horrible deviants in a military organization of all things. How would you explain that, eh? Father issues, a backwards sense of decision making, sheer stubbornness?

[bivariant]

I believe, [ she hedges her bets cautiously, as she always has: ] that the Regency is a threat, and that I am here because what I have to offer is selectively beneficial to ending that threat.

[ One one hand, she could have been abducted and inducted into rank and file. On the other hand, and the one she feels more confidently in: the hexarchate has deemed her and Jedao more useful in a different sector. One that likely is far more deadly to the empire's security than even the fortress's current status. The Regency is, at its core, so like the hexarchate that she cannot view it as anything other than a mass deviation, an entire regiment of heretics and an opposing force that threatens that which she serves far worse than the loss of a nexus. It's large. It's positioned well.

COST's recruitment policy is indeed a matter concerning to her. Without memory of the event, she's left to fill in the blanks herself. What better way to encourage someone to accept their place, than to let them take the time to rationalize it for themselves? On that matter, she remains quiet, her hands folded in her lap as she turns her face up to the sky. The aether? The aether, probably. ]

Against your "aesthetics". [ The tone she takes is not derisive, but light enough to almost consider her charmed by the way he's positioned himself. ] I have a feeling you're the type COST would have thrown a generous deal of manpower and resources at, had they not recruited you first. I cannot abide by the Regency, or what they seek to impose upon this nebulous future COST is here to correct. That I am here, with COST, means that it was an agreed upon necessity. Like you, I serve. And I will serve, until I am told otherwise.

[ That's really that. COST may have vast goals, but her loyalty belongs to something she feels is greater still. ]

You're too sly, to be a soldier like me.

[excelsus]

[It's not his favorite topic to be perfectly honest and he highly doubts that John wants to hear about his war with his own family. His father was actually quite loving, up until the point where he wasn't and that was terribly conflicting for him. He didn't know how to talk about loving someone and hating them just as much, it made very little sense.]

Of course not, only a hobnailed jackboot would enjoy a good finger-wagging while someone leads them about by the nose.

[Dorian watches with some fascination as John's thumb strokes his thigh, it's a comforting gesture, not one he can feel because of the leather, but still. Visual input is just as meaningful, it still has some small part of his brain singing with and imagined sensation.

When John mentions that he has father issues Dorian cants his head, raising both of his eyebrows as if to say you have father issues too? He doesn't expect an answer, he's able to read that it's not a topic for discussion just like John didn't pry the information from him, but it brought to light some more similarities.]

Desperate perhaps...even the rebels will do [the mage rolled himself up until he was on his knees, straddling John's legs] or perhaps it's because we're...cynical in a way that could almost be mistaken for pragmatism. It could also be the terrible charm or the devastating good looks...perhaps they are short on good-looking magically inclined types.

[Dorian throws back another sip from his own bottle before pointing said bottle towards the stairs leading to the kitchen.] Said something about food, didn't I?

[inconstantly]

[John would listen to Dorian if he did want to speak of his history, but he wouldn't draw it out in such a manner. There was learning about someone and then there was intentionally getting too personal. Though they had radically different upbringings there is still a certain connection to be found in moments that shape a person into their future self.

And then Dorian is on his knees which, to be quite frank was quick and unexpected, but not unwelcome. He places a hand on the other man's hip as if inviting him to stay. The other hand brings the wine to his mouth for a long drink before setting it aside to rest against the wall.]

Dorian.

[The newly freed hand curls lightly around Dorian's bare shoulder making skin to skin contact.]

You can't practically sit in my lap and expect me to now think of food.

[lonelywar]

[It's not something he keeps secret, necessarily, but it is also something he does not go out of his way to talk to others about. As far as curses go, it is a quiet one. He has a fairly good handle on how to control it. He had only had his momentary lapse in control when fighting Hei that one time, which had given him some pause, but... with what had happened with Kebechet, Ashitaka finds he's not willing to take risks with it. Perhaps his control was not as fine as he had once thought.

His breath leaves him in one huff of an exhale; perhaps there's a shred of humor in it, but it's more of a rough acknowledgement of her promise. Should he be comforted he has a small group of people that would kill him, should he devolve in such a way? Perhaps not, but he guesses he is pleased enough. He doesn't wish to harm anyone, regardless of what happens.]

I am sure you would be able to handle it without issue.

[Ashitaka had been able to kill Nago, and yet here he is not all that powerful at all, comparatively.

Something seems to occur to him. A question left unanswered.] Mordred. [He looks to her with a incising look.] If I may ask, what happened in the Regency prison which allowed for us to escape? Daenerys never told me.

[They had escaped together back into the trenches, but after that he had lost track of her. And then events had just kept rolling downhill.]

[lonelywar]

[The question snags at him a little bit; he feels he has to clarify, to know exactly what Chiron is asking from him.] Here, upon this creature's back?

[He would have to refer to the map data that 9S had supplied them; he hadn't really been keeping much track otherwise, besides picking out the largest landmarks. It was difficult to be so in the weeds of it when he would prefer just range freely, not thinking too much about where he was or where he was going, only that he was, for the time, free of war and the shackles of time.

But even that freedom became taxing once its novelty had worn off, when the stress and strain of duty finally wore away and was only replaced by the hum and flow of days moving along one after another. If they remained here for whatever reason, eventually they would become restless and seek purpose. It was the way of creatures with enough thought to yearn for such a thing.

He listens carefully to Chiron, nodding; the answer made sense. Of course he would have had the most amount of freedom in his own life, but this continuation of his existence didn't seem to be his own.]

If you do not mind my asking, what lies beyond this for you?

[Should they achieve their goals, what then for him? Did he simply disappear at that point?]

[lonelywar]

[Unsure...

It's about the kind of expression Ashitaka gives Kruger at his insistence. He's quite wary of having some trick played upon him at this point — it's certainly within the wheelhouse of what the other young man would do — but he's not entirely certain what yet. He decides to simply wait it out.]

As you say.

[He glances between his companion and what he had brought, his brows knitting together. Had Kruger decided to leave with such a large pack without packing supplies? They didn't even know if anything here was edible.]

For myself, yes. And perhaps for Yakul, if the grasses were not suited for him. Did you not bring food?

[lonelywar]

[Ashitaka would hope such a thing would be impossible. Wouldn't that be, in a way, defeating COST's own purpose? To remove someone indefinitely from their place in time, or even to return them differently-aged or differently-minded from years of fighting elsewhere, surely that would cause ripples throughout the impact of their overall life that could imperil the equilibrium they sought to maintain? Ashitaka's own grasp on this was still tenuous, as a young man who still struggled to grasp the full scope of his own conflict back home, but he would personally disagree to such a nihilistic outlook on their potential return.

Ashitaka has to remind himself that such a division exists, later in the history of Earth. In his own time, there wasn't much of anyone who did not spend a lot of time outdoors. Not unless you were high nobility, perhaps, but he had never experienced such a person.]

I think being on the back of an ancient creature is new to all of us, yes.

[This is what passes for a joke, with him.]

It is nostalgic, then?

[He wonders if war had robbed him of the wonder of the limitless outdoors. But, then again, the whole conception was different for him — something locked off, separate, even though it was, in essence, the entire world they stood upon, wherever they were.]

[lonelywar]

[Ashitaka was a person of discipline. After a great deal of time and effort the practice of putting forth much mindfulness into one's words and actions became as easy as one might breathe — an act of meditation, though one extended beyond oneself and to others. He still finds the marks and mannerisms of many of the others difficult to parse. The words were so crowded in their words that they seemed to lose meaning by principle of dilution, and accurate understanding was so linked to tone that sometimes he focused so much he lost the context. He is grateful for those that seem to speak in a similar pace and timbre. They are, each of them, out of time and an area of comfort, but he often feels himself lagging behind further, struggling to catch up to concepts otherwise naturally understood.

Ryo's single strident laugh is a reaction that causes Ashitaka's eyes to flutter closed in a half-startled blink. He thinks in that moment that it was a defensive mechanism; something that the other young man used to separate himself from something else that must have occurred to him without forewarning. He isn't one to hold remorse for something he did or said, however; the conversation might seem to be one held on a knife's edge, but it's not one Ryo seems ready to back away from. So neither will he.

The words he uses paints a different picture. What Ashitaka bore was something that had been inflicted upon him like a wound, as payment for wrongdoing. This sounded something deeper than that, less a factor of culpability and more one of fate.

He doesn't seem to have any intention to answer the question Ryo posed, for he feels it's one that has no answer except the obvious: an end.

There is a reason. It's something that, while not a secret, Ashitaka tends to keep to himself, for it was his own burden to bear. But more and more it seems that obfuscation was endangerment, and beyond that there was — something. He, too, has come across something in Ryo that feels strangely similar and yet dissimilar to himself, though in a way that made him vaguely aware of some natural caution within him, a preternatural sense towards a friction he could not yet place. Still, he found he had no qualms as he unties some drawstrings at the wrist of the sleeve pulled down his right arm, releasing them and pushing the blue cloth up to his elbow to bare the skin beneath.

From up close one could not mistake the mark for a bruise. A bruise was a memory of something, the body recovering from something long-past, but this was different. The mottled blue and purple of the demon's mark seemed to still have some breath to it, a seething intent, a presence that was entirely bereft some lingering echo of a week-old contusion. Coiled around his arm like a snake, it extended into his palm and past where the clothing was bunched at his elbow.]

Because I bear one of my own. [He gives the information in a soft tone of voice, his right fist clenching as if around the origin of the thing.] And because it has caused me to feel the same way. Living upon borrowed time.

[prizeneck]

Is that really so surprising, considering where we were?

And complaining about the weather is?

[prizeneck]

Said something of the sort on the BCE...

[Following him closely - and it's difficult, Genji's steps are still almost silent - his nostrils flare a little at the dampness in the air, almost as clingy to the skin as whatever is making him get a hitch in his breath that tells him to be careful. He grips the handle of his cane a little tighter. Used properly it still was a decent weapon.

He's playing close attention the light dripping sound at the end of the room, the buzz of lights in the tanks]

Yeah. Seems like it's an attempt at being lavish or something. [Seems a little too different from every other room, despite the hints at danger. Maybe COST picked up on some Scandinavian traditions? It was difficult to tell.]

[mylawn]

[For a few long moments, he looks more bewildered than anything, like he can’t quite believe that just happened. Indeed, he’s likely regarding the fact that he didn’t lose the bike as some sort of miracle. Chiron can practically see the gears turning until finally it breaks, the adrenaline rushing out of him in one fell swoop.

He rolls over on his back and laughs, a harsh sort of sound that indicates he doesn't do it very often.]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.

[inconstantly]

[Where Ryo's laugh is cut short, John allows for something more full, if quiet. There's a why shake of the head, fully accepting his his place in life as a dingy bottom feeder.]

Now I never said good taste. Just taste. You can't deny that you certainly have an opinion.

[He returns the nod, replying in kind with a silent "you're welcome." As Ryo speaks John watches him carefully, taking in what information he can about his present company as well as the information he chooses to tell. The kid is definitely a drinker and makes no effort to hide his habits as such. It's a trait John himself had already picked up by that age and it's nice to see someone not bothering to put on airs about themselves when it comes to a frowned upon habit. He takes the bottle and removes the cork, holding it in the same hand as the cigar.]

Well. As long as we're dealing with banned songs.

[He turns back to the hoverbike, fussing a little before another Sex Pistols song erupts through the air.]

If you knew the last one you likely know this one too. [a lazy shrug before a quick swig that burns down the throat] But it seemed like an obvious choice considering.

[He considers Ryo for a moment as the sound blasts around them and filters through the trees.]

You got a name?

[horsepowered]

Well, unless you've found something new at BASE that has hitherto escaped notice?

[In truth, Chiron wasn't sure how many people were keeping careful track of their movements. He was, but that was so he knew what he wanted to come back and examine more extensively later.

He also wanted to hear how it was Ashitaka was interacting with this new world. The familiarity of forests but the novelty of all creatures and plants in it were bound to highlight well...something interesting. He was always a thoughtful young man in Chiron's experience, and so wishing to hear his thoughts was just selfish desire on Chiron's behalf.

The question asked of him turns those tables though.]

In truth...I'm not sure. I thought I knew what I wished for, but I've re-evaluated that and remain unsure what I wish to do now.