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

[neutronium]

"I suppose it won't." Though Hux would like to point out that those are words often said by people who die soon after.

Still, Hux continues forward, and as they get closer, and they finally come upon the tree, he stops, frowning.

It's--it's unlike anything he's ever seen before. There are things within him that would tell him that it is dangerous; nothing that beautiful could be safe. But there is something that curls up within him that calms him--and it doesn't feel like a false calm that a predator might use to subdue prey. It feels more natural and safe than that, like something lost to his memory.

Hux moved in closer, skirting the large pond that is to the left of the tree, wanting to touch the branches, the leaves himself, feeling compelled to do so.

Remembering he is not alone, Hux looks back at Chiron, quirking an eyebrow. "...do you feel that?" Perhaps it only effects humans.

[neutronium]

Ah well that's...appreciated. [To know that he'd know when he's being ridiculed. He might be turning a curious shade of pink right now, and he clears his throat a little.]

Glad to know it's a turn of phrase; we all have different manners of speaking, given we're from different planets.

[He notes the kicking of the ground, and it is clear to him that John is being sincere--he wasn't attempting to mock Hux. Something goes out of him in that--it...that being readily admitted is odd to him. People's armor is not as built, or defensive here, in some ways.]

I'm not asking you to. I've just--

--I am not used to hearing that word.

[No one has ever called him that.]

I'll remember you speak that way for future knowledge. Speak in terms of endearment, and spell vulgarities in flame.

[inconstantly]

Now you're getting it.

[And John as in his custom of being too familiar reaches toward Hux to clap the other man's arm in approval.]

And I'll remember that you're not necessarily smelling shit, that's just your face.

[He tosses Hux a grin. Relax, he's just messing with you. Or don't relax. Seems more likely.]

But I should be getting back to BASE around now. Have got a food appointment of sorts I'd be a fool to miss.

[horsepowered]

"I do."

Chiron barely has words though. The light, the coloration, everything about the tree is beyond words for him. None of the nymphs he encountered in his lifetime could put on a display as beautiful and magnificent as this.

He moves through the little bit of water around the tree, barely noticing that his hooves get wet. It is then and only then that Chiron has the right state of mind to actually look the damn thing up.

"...Ah, this plant is apparently harmless."

[doublejumps]

[ This is something that neither of them have any prior experience with, at least as far as Genji can tell. Not that it's surprising, given that they're currently walking around on the back of a giant fish. ]

That makes sense.

[ And if the readings lead them the same way that he feels almost compelled to go, then they'll know they're on the right track. ]

Would you mind leading the way, then?

[ 9S the one with the readings, after all. ]

[ryuji]

[Things he doesn't need right now: imagining his Servant getting into said bikini, saying something dumb to her, her not getting it, him feeling dumb. Alternatively, her knowing what he was thinking, and her killing him. Yet, still...]

Like... hot as in babe hot, attractive ho--- [And then the bike comes to life with a roar, blazing a sound through the serene tranquility of their relative position in the middle of nowhere. Probably best to give it up.

And fuck, he's so sentimental over the smallest things sometimes, but when you're kicking it out in the wilderness in search of weird rock formations and there's nothing around but you and one of your best friends.

It can't really get better than this, y'know?]

It ain't a weird rock! I'M TELLIN' YA, IT'S A PORTAL TO ANOTHER DIMENSION. [Yeah, telepathy is a thing. But so is being heard, being loud, being free. It's all good.]

[ryuji]

Good. We're gonna be COSTs best power couple.

[Seeing past the pain and the suffering, enduring, living, going through everything with your head high, or low if the situation calls for it- Ryuji lives by this. It's coded into his genetic diary, his moral fiber. It's not like he wasn't open about it; anyone who asked would've gotten the same explanation: his father was a pitiable drunk who talked with his fists, rather than his love for his family. How many times had he laid awake at night after he became a Phantom Thief... knowing exactly where he was, wondering what would happen if he selfishly forced a change of hearts? Too many to count... but in the end, he wouldn't. Not that it was retribution to know he was out there in the world alone and without a family. Fuck that.

If you're a Sakamoto, you have to find the will inside you to get better. No magic is going to fuck around with that. So when he thinks about Mordred's dream, and the words that she says afterward, almost as an apology for the mutual invasion, it trickles off of him like excess rainwater from a stormy afternoon.]

I guess we both got issues with our dads, huh.

[Some things can't be changed, either way. Of course, Mordred's issue was a thing of legend... Ryuji's was just personal and only important to himself and his mother. But, still.]

[doublejumps]

[ Genji used to turn to combat as an outlet to express his anger the only way he knew now. Now he knows better, and can take all of his frustration at their situation and work through it with meditation. A much more productive way to go about it, to be sure.

So Lena isn't imagining the casual way that he approaches the spar. He's doing this for the pure enjoyment of it, and nothing else.

She races right toward him and Genji smiles to himself, leaping into the air and clear over Lena's head. He lands behind her and spins immediately, darting toward her to go in for the "kill." Mainly he wants to judge her reaction time and spatial awareness. ]

[ryuji]

[There's no push and shove for male dominance here, Ryuji just goes with the flow and takes himself at a comfortable pace- albeit, he's rather okay with getting the hell out of cafeteria dodge.

And when he's questioned, he looks at the other with a particularly bewildered expression.]

The eff's that supposed to mean?

[Of course he's been outside, he's...





He's moped in his room almost the entire week since he's been back. That realization hits him like a ton of bricks, and his hand raises up to the back of his neck, tilting slowly.]

Guess I haven't, actually.

[bloodings]

... You could say that.

[ The words are icy, but not threatening. Bringing up her father is generally a Bad Idea, but Ryuji's one of the few who can get away with it — not because of what he's seen, but because of who he is. Even if he wasn't her Master, she probably wouldn't kill him for it. ]

Well, not all sons succeed their fathers. In your case, that's a good thing. You turned out way better than he did. [ Mordred can't quite say the same for herself, as much as she'd claim otherwise. But she's working on it. One day, her father will have to admit that she's worthy. ] You just need to chase your own dream. Remember, a Servant is a temporary existence, so I won't always be around to help you.

[verumdicit]

If there were more people like you in my world, it would be easier on all of us. [ Meliorn? Throwing shade? Must be a day ending in y. But he means it - the amount of times Warlocks have pushed their magic too far have been astronomical. Hell, anyone who doesn't know how to stay in their line re: magic. He decides he likes Percy, if not just for the pleasant company, than for this alone. He shrugs. ]

Most humans where I am are ignorant in their knowledge that the arcane even exists. It's common, in your world?

[crownless]

Not like she's got any real reason to lie. Or I hope she don't got one, at least.

[Not that he'd.... know... or be able to pick up on it if she were....]

So those fuckers showed up after all. Thought I saw some people who didn't look like us. We kicked their asses, right?

[bloodings]

We'll see about that!

[ Maybe he's right. Maybe he's wrong. (He's almost certainly wrong.) But Mordred isn't going because she thinks something special is waiting for her there. She's going because Ryuji wants to.

The bike isn't terribly fast, but Mordred pushes it to the limit, until she can feel it shuddering in protest under her. Not satisfied with the speed, she darts close to flora and fauna; dodging a jaybear one minute, a giant tree the next, always barely an inch from disaster. It's getting dark, but she doesn't seem to take that into account, and whoops with joy when she launches the bike off a rock formation. ]

Hahahahaha! This is surprisingly fun! [ ... For her. How it feels for Ryuji is a different matter. ]

[prizeneck]

What kinda spas have you seen, then?

[He shakes his head with a shrug.] Not my thing. I'm a shower guy. You want to take a look or should we walk ahead?

[ergosphere]

I told them you killed him. They have no reason to question my word.

[Hux hadn't been convinced, but he'd fallen in line nonetheless. Getting rid of him, ironically, was going to be harder than getting rid of Snoke. The Supreme Leader hadn't been quite so intricately involved in the finer details of how the First Order operated.]

Besides, it's not that far from the truth. I wouldn't have had the means to do it without you.

[doublejumps]

[ As someone who's been taught of the beauty and balance in nature, Genji has already decided that he's going to work to capture this elk's heart. If he can reach a point where they're friendly with each other, he'll consider his mission accomplished. He realizes it's going to take extra effort when he reads as so foreign to the creature, but that won't stop him.

He expects it to take time, though, and so he lets his hand drop and steps back, giving the pair some space.

His arms cross over his chest as the stranger explains when he came from. If he doesn't even know an exact year, that already tells Genji plenty, but the extra information is also helpful. If his guess about the young man being Japan is correct, then that would further inform his understanding.

The gods, though? That's something else. Granted, Genji can't begin to know what someone's beliefs might be, if they hailed from such a time period. All the same, it seems as if the stranger is talking of the gods like they're physical beings, which is certainly not something Genji ever read about in the history books.

He tilts his head to one side, lifting an arm up to rub at his chin. ]

Is the land you're from called Nihon? [ Wait, was it Nihon that far back? Genji wracks his memory. ] Or Wa?

[mylawn]

Anyone looks like they know what they're doing when you line them up next to a bunch of kids.

[He says that with a shrug, but he's clearly trying to downplay his own experience, which is--as Mamoru has already guessed--substantial.]

[doublejumps]

[ Genji would also rather protect than destroy, at least these days. His time in Blackwatch is another story, but he tries to focus on how he's improved rather than on who he used to be. And even if they're protectors, it's still important to keep their skills sharp as their blades.

It is a bit startling to see the man pick up his massive sword with one arm, but Genji still has Reinhardt as a point of comparison. He won't be intimidated by such a display.

He draws his wakizashi, which looks quite pitiful in his hands compared to what the stranger is wielding, but that doesn't make it any less deadly. Genji crouches down into a fighting stance, giving both of them a few seconds to brace themselves before he springs into action.

Quite literally, as he leaps forward, closing the distance between him and his sparring partner in a split second. He slashes out with his sword, but purposefully makes certain its reach will be just an inch short of actually cutting into the other man. ]

[doublejumps]

Onsen, or more modern style spas -- but much more luxurious and comfortable than this.

[ Since neither of them have any intention of indulging in what this strange spa has to offer, there's no reason to hang around. There's something undeniably eerie about this place, so Genji doesn't hesitate to lead them back out.

He glances back to Mamoru as they walk, and ultimately can't snuff out his curiosity about him. ]

You didn't have your walking stick back at Gallipoli, did you? That must have been difficult.

actually completes this for u so we can SPIDERLAND

[bivariant]

Then, I'll keep that in mind.

[ A better ally, than an enemy. She counts this conversation as a positive step then, to adhering to this. It seems almost a rule, the way that he phrases it -- something to be observed, like the parameters of a mathematical problem, and utilized as a framework. Not as something to be reworked or manipulated. Cheris enjoys parameters. She enjoys service, and she enjoys mathematical theory. The man who shares her mind's space enjoys the human angle, the conversation, the game, the exploitation of variables and the challenge.

( It worries her, just a little. ) ] In mind, [ she admonishes, little more than a gritting of her teeth. She is a child, holding the leash of something older and greater than she. She doesn't cover for her shift in tone, not the type to play at disguises and turn of phrase. Kel literalism has served her before, and it will continue to serve her in the future. ] If not to heart.

[ As she slips her fingers into the yawning mouth of her boots, she gives pause before climbing back to her feet. ]

Was this conversation worth your service tonight, then? After all that you said, I can't imagine it's simply because you dislike sleeping that you'll keep watch. Or that I could sleep soundly, without confirming you've received what you wanted, in full.

[prizeneck]

[He would give him a pointed look if the action coming from a blind man wasn't so useless, probably a little creepy.

As it is, he scoffs. ] Depends on the kid. Knew a couple of teenagers who could pack a punch. Not literally, though.

[prizeneck]

Ah, yeah, been a while since I've been in an onsen. Not that it's difficult for anything to be more luxurious than this. The food sure could use work.

[He waves his free hand at what's around him in general.

It had been one of those very rare moments where he was dragged out of a dojo to "hang out" with students and other teachers, an assistant instructor carefully maneuvering conversation into the tatami back home instead of anything regarding his personal life while he soaked. Not that he had much to hide, really. His life just had been learning and teaching all at once, until then.

He remembers it being relaxing, but it was the only time he allowed himself to indulge. His sore muscles thanked him, the next day. He had been a demon in the next spars.

He shrugs, tapping at his sunglasses.]

I had another pair of specs with me, those project a sort of layout over the surfaces and people around me into my retinas. That's why I was wearing the mask - that kind of technology would've blown my cover.

[neutronium]

[Hux rolled his eyes, but let the jab roll off his back, and even managed a small smirk himself when Constantine grinned at him. It's a start.]

Of course. Hopefully I'll see you around.

[He gave a nod of his head, and started to continue his walk. This had been an interesting talk; he did actually mean he was interested in seeing Constantine at another time. But of course, time would tell.]

[neutronium]

Hux hadn't even bothered to look it up; given his normal reaction to these sorts of things, it shows how affected he is by the tree. Once he's close enough, his fingers brush over the trunk of the tree, relishing in the sensation.

"What else does it say?" He glances back at Chiron, his face slack and easy-for once ungarded and open, looking much younger than he usually does.

[widow_of_the_crag]

Yes, let's.

[No offense meant to him, but she'd be positioning some of the furniture in front of the door for the first few nights, if only to ease her mind.]

You didn't know and I'm still have trouble adjusting to all of...this.

[She waved her hand around the room.]

I keep trying to remember that things are different here, but something always catches me by surprise.