driftfleet | Entries tagged with ginko

[PLANETSIDE]

[The communications systems have been down for days now. The silence of the fallen ships contrasts sharply with the noise of the forest, for better or worse. But today, in the middle of the night, all personal communicators and ship consoles spit and crackle a mostly-intelligible message. It’s video, even! The figure is difficult to see over the broadcast, but the one thing that stands out is a stark white mask painted with gold.]

Hey! Listen up! I don’t have all day. That means you, travelers. Sorry about the time, it’s the only way I can be sure I won’t be interrupted.

[Though the gender of the speaker is difficult to place, their voice is pleasant to listen to… or it would be, if the broadcast could stop being staticky!]

I know how you can get off this miserable rock before you get eaten. Help me and I’ll help you. We can discuss payment when the situation is a little less dire. [A wry laugh.] I think my demands aren’t too outrageous, considering I can give you everything you need to reverse your fortune.

First things first: you’ll need to be able to talk to the others who got shot down. At the coordinates I’m about to give you, you’ll find the old comms tower. It’s not working at the moment, but you should be able to find something you can use in the ruins around it. Wires, or a battery, or whatever you can salvage, figure it out! Get that thing going and communications should be restored on your end. Right now you can’t get past the jammer, but get a boost and that should be it. Your communicators will handle the rest, even if they’re third class junk.

Here are the coordinates: 5° 10' 3.0089'' north, 24° 3' 98.3199'' east. Repeat: 5° 10' 3.0089'' north, 24° 3' 98.3199'' east. Surely one of you knows how to navigate by the stars, right?

After you get the tower running, I suggest you start scavenging. There’s all sorts of parts laying around and the villagers will help you if they can. The sooner you get your ships fixed, the better. You won’t be able to fly off-- well, I don’t recommend it-- because of the guns. That’s a problem that we’ll tackle later. For now, focus on making a base and defending it.

I’m sure you have questions. I might have answers, depending. Important questions only, now. Don’t waste my time.

And if you absolutely need a name, call me Zhade.

[SHIPSIDE]

[The broadcast is heavily jumbled at first, but that is definitely someone hailing your ship! The video is dark and grainy at best, the exact gender and build difficult to discern underneath all that black cape and armor, but they have a white mask with gold paint. It stands out, considering most of the Vieziri have stainless steel masks and war paint only.]

You! Yes, you. All of you. Your friends on the planet are safe. Probably. Mostly. What’s important is that they’re working to navigate the communication block. That means you’ll be back in touch soon.

I know you want to reunite with them as soon as possible. Here’s the thing-- you can’t do it without me. And I can’t get off this miserable garbage pile of a planet without your help, so let’s cut a deal. Show me some kindness in the form of credits and I’ll be sure to repay it with intel. Clear?

The name’s Zhade, if you feel like writing this down in your diary.

I don’t expect you to trust me without showing my word is good. So out of the kindness of my heart, I’ll let you in on something.

If you want to rescue your friends, you’ll need more than gumption or good pilots. You’ll have to disable the anti aircraft weaponry or risk everything being blown to smithereens. The Vieziri don’t mind if their dinner is minced meat.

That doesn’t mean you can’t send down supplies, though. Actually-- if you drop something that’s smaller than one of your shuttles, they can’t detect it on the scanners.

Once the jammer’s taken care of, you’ll all have to contend with the anti aircraft fire if you want to leave. I have some ideas for that, but you’ll want to make sure you’re in top shape first. So focus on repairing your ships and defending yourselves. You’ll want guns, the bigger the better. You’re gonna need it.

[The figure folds their arms.]

I have a few minutes to answer questions, but I can’t risk it much longer. Make it quick.

[ooc: The NPC will be available to answer questions mostly in the evenings PST and over the weekend. For characters who are exceptionally grateful to Zhade and would like to encourage further cooperation, an invoice can be found on their communicators, which they can pay with credits conveniently docked from their accounts.

Additionally, ships in orbit should now be able to send video broadcasts, though the reception is not perfect and may still cut out, glitch, or go static from time to time. Planetside communications to ships in orbit will be restored when the comms tower is fixed.

Please make sure to indicate if you are grounded or in orbit in your replies, as they are two separate broadcasts and these two groups can't interact yet!

Further questions should be asked here on the plot post. Thank you!]

darksmokerising

Who: Merlan & [You]
Broadcast: N/A
Action: SS Bloodsport & Lato'li
When: October-November Plot Length

( red dead red )

throwsdown

Who: Takeshi and you!
Broadcast: Video
Action: SS Goldstone, if you need him for whatever reason! Also the gym on the iskaulit.
When: October 5th

[Takeshi's had a bit of a rough time, knowing one of his crew is gone - hopefully not gone gone, but still gone, and that's too much for him to want to think about. Mr. Okita, he shouldn't have gotten killed. Takeshi feels an insurmountable guilt, because he's the captain, and he should have gotten out there and picked up his friend. His teammate. Even still... Mon-El's awake now. Good things are happening again. They've set out, and now all he can really do is wait and see what happens next.

... But it's October, he realizes belatedly. He had not been keeping track, and so he addresses the fleet with a little smile.]

... I turned nine years old on October 1st.

I couldn't remember my birthday when I first came to space -- that was when I was five. But they said I could have a new day... The month I showed up there, that was my new birthday. I guess I... kinda lost track! But I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to be another year older with everyone else.

What kinda' birthdays do you guys have?

Do you remember any really nice ones? I had a pool party, once...! On the Tranquility.

[It was one of the best days of his life.]

If you don't have one, we can figure out one for you. Okay?

[A LIL' DASH OF ACTION]

[If you need him elsewhere, he's also in the gym aboard the Iskaulit, today. Working out, actually! He's currently giving the punching bag in there his all, throwing some hard right hooks and leaping kicks. In fact, he gets a bit too into it and accidentally kicks the whole thing right off the hanger -- it goes sailing across the room into the wall, with Takeshi slapping his hands on the sides of his head and 'WAHHH'ing in dismay.

... Just a normal week aboard the drifting fleet.

Now, where's someone he can train more with? He's getting stronger by the year!]

passingthrough

Who: Kitty and EVERYONE!
Broadcast: So broadcast!
Action: Very action! (Twin Roses)
When: Oct. 1 (and also later)

[VIDEO]
[Kitty is still in her bedroom where she's been for the past two months when the video opens.]

If the timestamps I'm seeing are right then I'm surprised I don't have a long beard by now. That's a Rip Van Winkle joke for any of the non-earthlings who think maybe I can grow a beard.

So, I'm Kitty Pryde for anyone who just showed up. Just so you know I still have seniority over you. I could take your lunch money any time I want. And hi. Any new mutants? Maybe some Avengers who should be mutants, but they aren't because timelines are funny that way? [Wanda and Pietro were strange, okay?]

I haven't flipped through much of the network yet. Feel free to do a roll call. Let me know you're here—new, old, returned, twice baked, whatever. Did I miss anything fun? Maybe some birthdays? Oh, right, like mine. [She picks up some pretty and unusual stones and nudges an illustrated physics book. She speaks softer.] Maybe someone remembered.

[Scrolling through some old network posts and her eyes widen slightly.] Maybe I missed something not so fun...

[ACTION : TWIN ROSES]
[Her body feels lethargic and uninterested in all this moving she wants to do. But she's been out of commission and she feels the need to catch up. So she'll be looking for crewmates and visitors.]

hollystrike

Who: Katie McCoy & you
Broadcast: fleetwide
Action: Iskaulit or Vanquish
When: 27 September.

[Because it's a matter of survival for the fae, Katie learned to deal with her own nightmares very early on. It's one of those issues when your existence straddles the line between the mundane world and the dream one and you see both at once. It can be fun. It can be beautiful. It can also kind of suck ass.

What happened to the planet below is still a source of roiling nausea for her, but she is by far not the only one dreaming of it now.

In one sense, it's good that the scale of destruction is so vast that the human subconscious has difficulty replicating it as echoes in the confined space of the ships themselves, but it doesn't stop her from catching glimpses of horrified faces in the corner of her eye. Ghostly echoes of copper-skinned victims before their death. Corridors suddenly filling with flame and screams. See, that one's jarring as hell and she has difficulty pretending she can't see it. It's enough that she excuses herself from polite company and locks herself in the Vanquish's personnel room, a ball of wool in her hands and a twitchy cat slinking at her heels. Licorice can see it all, too. That's the problem with getting too close to the fae. She wonders idly if Sam is having issues.

She can't exactly make an announcement to demand everyone get over it already. You can't get over something like this. It's healthy to go through that grief. But if a corridor happens to fill with fire while she's in it, she'll burn. And it's her job to try and curb this kind of thing, the way she ... totally didn't do that in Bath. Oh, well.

She does what she can.]

[Video]

Would anyone like a dream catcher? [She holds up a contraption made from baby blue wool and shells, shaking it a little. It looks decidedly average.] Personally speaking, I've always found the ones I didn't make myself far more useful. But you could always try them out and see what happens. Might help with the nightmares none of you are having.

Speaking of non-issues, I suppose this is what being a personnel officer is all about. I really do need my Doctor Is In sign, don't I?

[Decidedly average-looking or not, the dream catchers will reek of magic to anyone who can detect that sort of thing. And they'll work on the nastier nightmares people have until the magic runs down.

She'll be mostly in her personnel room on the Vanquish because these things take time to make, though she'll visit the Iskaulit later to hang out in the fox park and recharge.]

namisan

Who: Bloodsport crew
Broadcast: nope
Action: Guess where
When: 22nd onwards

[Even in the midst of this, we still have new crew shuffled in. Nice to see the Atroma are all business as usual, right? Welcoming Kaname to a pretty miserable ship, all things considered. :|]

collegedropout

Who: Sam, and you, and anyone; tis a mingle of sorts.
Broadcast: Fleetwide.
Action: SS Bloodsport, if you wanna find him.
When: After the planet is struck - Sept 22nd.

Note: Feel free to tag each other and inform everyone of whatever you need to, post-planetary explosion! I'll tag here and there, but consider it more of a mingle for people to touch bases about casualities and making sure people know they're okay (or if someone's injured.)

[Sam sits, triumphant in their mission but also defeated in spirit. Because yeah, they got the ship off the planet, and there's a whole civilization of people who get out of there... but he also is already too aware there is at least one fatality on their end already. Looma's last broadcast had been expected, especially after she'd sent him a warning beacon as the meteor pressed down into the planet's atmosphere, speeding, ready to smash the thing to pieces without effort.

Looma at least faced her death as one would expect, for her people. He imagines they would be proud.

Still, he sounds deflated at the thought, as he speaks a more leveled and straightforward response:]

... We've lost Captain Looma, of the SS Bishop. Umm... for what it's worth, she did it on her terms. I'm sorry.

[He's carried out the task of divvying up the blood from the blood drive, in case anyone from any particular ship needs it; there've been some injuries from shrapnel and citizen unrest, he's pretty sure. That's about all he can do, now, other than check in on the gardens... make sure Fie's work is continued alongside her, because it's important to keep those plants alive and thriving.

He slumps a little in weariness, sighing at his desk where he sits on the SS Bloodsport.]

... Role call?

Who's, um. Who's missing?

sylphystia

Who: Dezel and you
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Lyuku, Malum.
When: Anytime up to the 21st.

[audio;]

[A rough voice, unaccustomed to talking too much, but distinctive in its grumpiness.]

Animals need to be evacuated, too. Don't forget about them.

[And also:]

There are drinks at the Malum if you need to take a break. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Dying foolishly doesn't make you a hero, it makes you an idiot.

[Not that it'll dissuade any of these people.]

-----

[action; lyuku]

[Dezel's always had a way with animals, so he's mostly found rounding up livestock and pets that were forgotten about. Whether they're fluffy or scaly, he finds a place for them. After a couple hours he has a collection of tiny birds and reptiles all nestled into his jacket or his hat, but it doesn't slow him down any.

Some people might see a random line of livestock walking down the road. Others might see a shade carrying a little girl with a bandaged ankle (or perhaps she is floating). The girl keeps crying incoherently for her mother. And so, Dezel turns to you, whether you're familiar to him or not. He flips open his comm to help echo his voice.]

Her mother should be looking for her. Let's split up.

[Crewmates and anyone with regular business at the Malum, where he works, should be able to see him-- but at the very least, he can be heard through the communicator.]

[action; malum]

[Seraphim don't need to sleep, not really, and far be it from Dezel to take a nap while there's stuff going on. He goes back to the Malum instead. The food he makes is all hearty filling stuff that'll help keep people going, regardless of what the menu usually is ~~pretentious plates with cherry tomatoes and a squiggle of sauce~~; the big batch of Space Pendrago Stew smells criminally good.

There's a discount if you order it with hard alcohol, which should encourage people to eat before going back out there.]

thespaceopera

[ On the night of the 16th, the feeling of tension and horrid anticipation comes to a head. Everything stops when the sun goes down-- even the ever-present music in the hoppingest part of the city center. One by one, everyone turns their eyes to the skies. The young and old alike pour out of their houses, some in bare feet, and they point to the velvety blanket of stars.

It takes a second to find it, especially if one is unaccustomed to the starscape. But even a casual observer can see it.

A brightly-shining star, larger than the others, and growing larger.

An announcement cuts across all communication channels that encourages people to evacuate to the space station, but it’s clear that these are just people and they’ll need some help. Supplies, equipment, organization, there’s something for everyone to do.

Civilization is disrupted by a panicked stampede of people vying for limited seats aboard spacefaring craft. Within hours, there will be crushed glass, looting, and chaos.

The clock is ticking. Will you help? Or would you rather watch the dying gasps of a Singing Planet from a safe distance? ]

[OOC: Please see this post for plot details. Phase two has begun! Feel free to use this post as a reaction post, mingle, etc. or make your own!]

fallbythesword

Who: Jacqli and YOU!!
Broadcast: Yes - fleetwide
Action: If you want - aboard the Marsiva
When: RIGHT NOW!

[ New kid on the hospitality deck! After establishing that she can't simply disappear from this place and reappear in ~~not actually space~~ the Astral Plane, she really only has one thing she even wants to bother to ask of the network at large.

She turns on the video feed, and looks very, very unimpressed - bored, even. ]

If anyone knows about The Machine as it relates to the Astral Plane, or a very specific shop, respond to this.

[ There's a long pause. ... Okay, okay, fine, she should probably also say something borderline nice. Ugh. ]

... In the absence of such knowledge, I guess someone could tell me what planet that is outside, and why it sounds like a nervous pop star.

namisan

Who: Nami and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: SS Bloodsport, Iskaulit, ze planet
When: 10 September

---------

I'm back. I don't suppose there's any good news?

[Short and sweet. She already caught up on all the disaster shenanigans afoot.

If you want to catch her in person at all, she'll be either:

a) on the Bloodsport going through the network entries and being in a generally shitty mood;
b) at the Space Bar taking inventory and catching up on business;
c) organising and purchasing new supplies planetside for the bar like nothing is wrong; or
d) taking her waver out to sea at various points, for scouting and her own peace of mind.

Or wild card me up. Take your pick.

EDIT:

Actually, she does come back to the network the next day. She skimmed far enough to look at the dreams, and nearly lost the reference to Eleven's post. Sister. Waking up.

That's a dream to do with what's going on...?]

...hey.

Who remembers the message we got from that last singing planet?

[Because there are some awfully relevant parts to it.]

all7seas

Who: Jack Sparrow and Anyone
Broadcast: Yes, unfortunately.
Action: It COULD lead to action on Kayann, which is where Jack is at the moment. It's much better than being stuck on the Bishop with Looma and mean people who hate Jenga. (Looking at YOU, Pidge Gunderson.)
When: Later in the evening of the 16th.

"New fruity floot loops
Slooping in a groovy suit
Gloop 'em in a new boot
Or sling 'em in a pie.

Rooty-tooty floot loops
Drooping in a blue soup
Mooping in some newt poop!
Floot Loops til we die!"

[It's a poem. Jack wrote it. And now he's reciting it over and over again. To you.]

collegedropout

Who: Sam Winchester and you.
Broadcast: Video.
Action: N/A (unless you wanna stop by and visit him!)
When: Now-ish.

Alright, well — hey, everyone. Just a few things, most of it kind of important to get out there ahead of time. First thing's first... Captain Nami's currently MIA; I'm guessing something Atroma-related. She's not anywhere on the ship, but her name's on the roster still. Until she's back, I'll take over reigns on the Bloodsport temporarily, so if anyone has anything they need to talk about regarding the ship, just let me know.

... I'll also be sure to help keep The Space Bar functioning, if any extra help is actually needed. Fenris, you think you can keep things going alright there as her second in command? Just let me know, I'll be more than happy to do a little more work outside of bar-tending.

[He's... worried. Really worried, as he usually is when his friends just disappear or fall into comas. The comas are a lot easier, actually — seeing where people are, even if they're not awake. Katie had also... Focus, Sam. Work first, worrying way later. It'd do no good to get distracted yet.]

Since Allen's left, I'm also gonna be taking over the blood drive for him. What he did was extremely important, and that blood can go towards important transfusions in case of emergency; it doesn't exactly happen too often, but I've been in plenty situations in my life where any little contribution means life instead of death.

If you're interested in giving blood, please let me know and I'll get you in on the screening process. Per the old guidelines, you have to be over the age of 16 and fill out the form attached to the video. Any supernatural or magical being who has a hard time around blood: restraint is a necessity.

The blood drive'll be on the Bloodsport. Which I guess is... actually kind of fitting.

I don't exactly have snacks to offer yet, but if anyone would like to make some, I'd be more than happy to pay you.

[Phew, that's not even the end of it. He flips gracefully through a few loose leaf papers.]

Also — before Kirito left the fleet, um. He and I worked on a GPS function for the network devices, so that you can send out your coordinates. It's an easily accessible function that can show exact locations on planets or in space, in case you want to meet up with someone or — more importantly — if you end up lost or injured and need assistance.

It's not perfect, but it helps increase your chances of getting out of a messy situation and saves time in day-to-day traveling planet-side. It does need to be manually placed on your communicators, though, so please let me know if you're interested and stop by the Bloodsport when you've got a chance.

... And give it up for Kirito; this thing wouldn't be half as functional without his half of the work.

[He clears his throat.]

Man. Lot of people missing or left, huh? How about something else? Say one good thing about yourself. Maybe... something you're good at, or a feature you like. Maybe a hobby you're good at?

I try to practice it myself; reminding myself of things I like about me. So... Lay it on me.

(OOC: Blood drive is handwaved! You can also handwave Sam putting the network GPS on your communicator, but comment here so I know who he's been adding the code to if you can. So much to do, so little time, lmfao.)

spacebro

Who: Everyone
Broadcast: It's been known to happen
Action: Kayanni System (or a ship. I'm not the boss of you)
When: July 21 – August 23

(OOC: System Info)

takingkarabusiness

Who: Kara & You
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: the Tourist
When: now!

[ broadcast ]

[ Kara is wearing her new sunglasses (blue) and eating Red Vines (red, obviously). The video is kind of vlog style with her just hanging out in her room and talking into the camera ]

People should tell me about the food they got from home! Was it something you love? Something you hate? Share!

Also if anyone wants to hang out, let me know. I feel like there's still this like, cloud over the Fleet from the shenanigans last month—reasonably so but I'm boooooooored. Let's make plans!

[ she waves and the video ends ]

[ action ]

[ Kara is either in her room or in the kitchen, hanging out and trying to figure out what to do around here ]

namisan

Who: Crew & Visitors of the Bloodsport
Broadcast: Unlikely
Action: Bloodsport
When: July

[Welp, that sure was fun. Any fallout? But the crew has shuffled around a bit, so maybe this is a good time to touch base.]

timelysteward

[Does this look like a harassed clock with a human face? Does it? Good, because it's Cogsworth, sitting in front of a window on the Marvisa and he looks like he just swallowed about a half a dozen lemons. In his tiny brass hands he is holding a piece of paper, and he keeps fiddling with it, shifting it between his two hands.

He puts one brass hand up to his mouth, clears his throat, and then fumbles with the paper for a moment. Could he be ... nervous? It's possible.

Lips pressed together, the time hands on his face twitching, he states flatly.]

Hello. My name is Cogsworth and I am a ... [now he has to look at the word.] Ho-mo-sexual. I realize that I am a ... clock, but I assure you that I am not a ho-mo-sex-ual clock, but a ho-mo-sex-ual man. I have been ... told. Rigorously.

[Here he is glowering.]

That I need to ... 'embrace' this. So. If there are any ... individual males who would not mind ... being complimented by a ... human clock, then, ah. Please! Come forward.

[Okay he'll try a smile but it's more of a sheepish grimace at this point. God help him.]

namisan

Who: Nami
Broadcast: Yup
Action: Kitchens of the Marsiva
When: July 3

[Look at the date. And they're still on this piece of shit ship. Kind of takes all the desire to celebrate anything right out of her sails.

...god knows how old she is now anyway.]

If you have any decent booze stashed away in your room, wanna help a girl out? The Atroma's stocks are running low, and it sucks to begin with.

[Yeah, guess what she's doing in the kitchen. Don't worry, if you come looking for said limited Atroma stocks, she'll still share.]

thespaceopera

[ Calibration Rooms ]
( for N-Z characters )

Before you post your toplevel comment, please:
1. Check the first letter of your character's name as its written in our tags. N-Z names comment here, and A-M names go to the other post.
2. Make a note in your comment if anything especially triggering or graphic might show up in the Calibration. If you're not sure if something's worth noting or not, we suggest listing it anyway, just to err on the side of caution.
3. Put your character's name (it can be shortened or different from the tag, this time) in the subject of your comment. This will help visitors find you easily, and help us update the list below.
4. Post your comment! It's fine if everyone's Calibrations end up looking and reading very different from one another. As long as you're having fun and following our guidelines, you're good to go. :)
5. If you have any questions or concerns during Calibrations, you are welcome to send them towards the mod team at any time, as always.

ROOMS BY CHARACTER

N - P

Nami

Natalie Goodman

Natasha Romanoff

Noctis Lucis Caelum

Nono

Okita Souji

Otono-Tachibana Makie

Pavel Chekov

Prompto

Q - S

Riona Cousland Theirin

Rip Hunter

Sokka

Sorey

T - V

Takeshi

W - Z

Yuan Ka-Fai

Zaveid

Zelda

thespaceopera

[ Calibration Rooms ]
( for A-M characters )

Before you post your toplevel comment, please:
1. Check the first letter of your character's name as its written in our tags. A-M names comment here, and N-Z names go to the other post.
2. Make a note in your comment if anything especially triggering or graphic might show up in the Calibration. If you're not sure if something's worth noting or not, we suggest listing it anyway, just to err on the side of caution.
3. Put your character's name (it can be shortened or different from the tag, this time) in the subject of your comment. This will help visitors find you easily, and help us update the list below.
4. Post your comment! It's fine if everyone's Calibrations end up looking and reading very different from one another. As long as you're having fun and following our guidelines, you're good to go. :)
5. If you have any questions or concerns during Calibrations, you are welcome to send them towards the mod team at any time, as always.