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

[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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[handsomefoil]

The thing about all this though, is that Henry doesn't realize just how much of an impact this is having on the guy. He doesn't know much about Bucky beyond what he's let on during casual conversation and a little bit just now regarding sexuality. It's the tip of the iceberg, barely a scrape, and he has no clue what this might lead to. Hell, he didn't even think about it because that's just how Henry is: acts without thinking, and inevitably hurts someone without a care. Or at least without realizing.

That being said, he doesn't read too far into the kiss. He just enjoys the moment of it all, the warmth and the addicting sense of euphoria that washes over him. It's nothing new, at least in terms of sensations and emotions, but like any addictive sensation or activity he finds himself seeking it out from time to time when it's allowed.

He's not sure how long they've been going at it like this, but it's getting to the point where his hands wander a little more just simply out of habit. His thumb kneads towards Bucky's inner thigh, just massaging it there for a moment as he holds the kiss for a brief moment before pulling back ever so slightly.

[lefthandfree]

For as wholly poignant as knowing it’s possible for someone to know the killer and not be repulsed, to say that it does anything to draw Bucky out of the present would be incorrect. While it certainly opens doors Bucky had long forgotten the hallways for, feeling the immediate want reciprocated in Henry’s every movement is intoxicating. Which is as intensely desired on Bucky’s part as it would seem for anyone like him who can 1) no longer become intoxicated and 2) drank quite normally for fun before he lost the ability to feel the affects of it.

Even the feeling of Henry’s hand moving closer to something Bucky doesn’t know he can give slips by the wayside, the fact Bucky can still claim kisses more urgent in his mind than the possibility of Henry pushing for something they both likely know won’t happen.

Only when Henry draws away, the need to chase to find the press of his lips again, does Bucky really clear from his stupor, breath heavy and a pained sigh sitting at the tip of his tongue at how keenly he feels the loss of what had been his moments before.

“What is it?” A tinge of concern as he pulls back too, giving Henry space should he need it.

[handsomefoil]

He doesn't move back any further than he needs to so he can speak, the skin of their lips occasionally brushing against each other's whenever he moves his mouth. Bucky pulls back to in kind and Henry's fingers press into the fabric of Bucky's pants, as if anchoring himself for a moment.

"Hm, nothing really. I was just thinking that you're a very good kisser..." he chuckles low in his throat, eyelids still heavy like he doesn't intend on opening them all the way anytime soon.

Telling him what was an extremely obvious fact isn't his true reason for pausing. He uses this moment to gauge a reaction from not only Bucky, but from himself as well. Did he want to keep this up? He usually does (unless he's got a real good reason not to), so he's mostly reading Bucky at this point. However, that little touch of concern in the question that sounded like a plea to continue is all he really needs. Bucky clearly wants to continue and Henry is totally fine with this. Eager for it, even.

He glides his hands up from wherever they were resting and rests them against the side of Bucky's neck, pulling himself back towards him into a more comfortable position. Then placing a kiss to the corner of Bucky's mouth, it's the only window of opportunity for Bucky to get any words in before Henry goes for his mouth again.