Phantasmal Rift Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
phantasmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
phantasmalrift2018-02-12 06:00 am
phantasmods) wrote in phantasmalrift2018-02-12 06:00 am
IC INTRO - FEB
The first thing the new arrivals will see, as the sun sets, is a set of distant lights turning on - the roof of the Station, perched on the cliffs above the beach.
The next thing, probably, will be the exploratory drone, a flying chrome thing about the size of a horse, descending near them, wherever they are.
"I can't believe it spat out people this time," says a voice through the speakers - androgynous, somehow sounding young and old enough to be incredibly tired.
Another voice, almost identical but almost unmistakably that of a different speaker from the cheerful tone, says, "Worry about it later! Hey, do you want a ride?"
And with that, the door of the drone's cargo bay opens.
--> WELCOME, NEW ARRIVALS.
Drones drop characters off on the well-lit lower section of the roof, where a pair of tall, gangly humanoids meet them. The two are clearly artificial, formed of silver metal and white silicone, and perfectly identical... Except for their standing posture, which is very different.
The one on the right, a step further back, looks indisputably excited, and peers at the new arrivals curiously. The one on the left has a bag slung over their shoulder, clearly thrown together at the last moment and not completely closed. They take a step forward and say, in a calm tone, "Hello. My name is Strange. Do you have any injured?"
A few minutes after the characters start to arrive, a third android bursts out of the door into the station, exclaiming (in the same voice as the rest), "Here! Wear these!" before shoving a purple scarf at Strange and a red scarf at the curious one. The new android is already wearing an orange scarf.
Once all characters have been brought up, the remaining three androids arrive on the roof, wearing green, dark blue, and white scarves. The one in white hangs back a little from the others, while the one in blue carries themselves with authority.
"Welcome to Keystone Station," says the one in blue, in a voice that must have the volume enhanced to carry across the entire roof. "You may call me Up. My siblings and I have been maintaining the station in the absence of our creators, and researching the phenomenon that brought you here, which we call Fissures. ...I am sorry to say that we have no way to return you to your worlds at this time, so please accept our hospitality."
They bow, low at the waist, and that seems to be a signal to the rest of the group to break up and join the confused, milling group of new arrivals.
--> INDIVIDUAL NPC TOP-LEVELS
Strange - Charm - Top - Bottom - Up - Down
--> THE REST OF THE STATION
Once explanations have been made as much as they can be, the newly arrived characters are set loose to explore the station itself. The labs are currently closed off, as is the door down to the generator level, but characters are welcome to explore anywhere else they please.
The androids, too, depart the roof, each setting off with a distinct task in mind. Charm and Bottom can be found on the lowest accessible level, the two of them working magic on stored seeds long into the night in order to tempt the infant plants into growing. Up and Strange vanish into the labs, (which open to characters the next day, the biology lab having been converted to a medical bay, along with the generator level).
Top and Down, meanwhile, make their home in the central gathering room of the residential floor for the night. Down is distributing network devices from a case at their side, while Top is noting down character housing arrangements and who is taking which of the station's rooms.
There's also a table set up near them, which is covered in a variety of snack foods that characters can grab and munch on before they head off for the night. Most of the packages have sand or dried salt clinging to them, indicating well enough their origins, and the expiry dates are of course all over the place even on the snacks characters might recognize... But it's certainly something to eat, isn't it?
--> THE NEXT MORNING
When characters come into the common room the next day, there's a set of large boxes on either side of the couch-filled lower area. One side is full of clothes of approximately modern Earth origin, loosely sorted by fit. A note tacked to the boxes says Limit yourself to one outfit, please!
The boxes on the other side of the room are empty. A clip-board set on a white folding table in the middle has a piece of paper and a black pen strung to it;
Finally, those who adventure into either kitchen will find a box of plain donuts left out on the counters.
TRADING POST
The next thing, probably, will be the exploratory drone, a flying chrome thing about the size of a horse, descending near them, wherever they are.
"I can't believe it spat out people this time," says a voice through the speakers - androgynous, somehow sounding young and old enough to be incredibly tired.
Another voice, almost identical but almost unmistakably that of a different speaker from the cheerful tone, says, "Worry about it later! Hey, do you want a ride?"
And with that, the door of the drone's cargo bay opens.
--> WELCOME, NEW ARRIVALS.
Drones drop characters off on the well-lit lower section of the roof, where a pair of tall, gangly humanoids meet them. The two are clearly artificial, formed of silver metal and white silicone, and perfectly identical... Except for their standing posture, which is very different.
The one on the right, a step further back, looks indisputably excited, and peers at the new arrivals curiously. The one on the left has a bag slung over their shoulder, clearly thrown together at the last moment and not completely closed. They take a step forward and say, in a calm tone, "Hello. My name is Strange. Do you have any injured?"
A few minutes after the characters start to arrive, a third android bursts out of the door into the station, exclaiming (in the same voice as the rest), "Here! Wear these!" before shoving a purple scarf at Strange and a red scarf at the curious one. The new android is already wearing an orange scarf.
Once all characters have been brought up, the remaining three androids arrive on the roof, wearing green, dark blue, and white scarves. The one in white hangs back a little from the others, while the one in blue carries themselves with authority.
"Welcome to Keystone Station," says the one in blue, in a voice that must have the volume enhanced to carry across the entire roof. "You may call me Up. My siblings and I have been maintaining the station in the absence of our creators, and researching the phenomenon that brought you here, which we call Fissures. ...I am sorry to say that we have no way to return you to your worlds at this time, so please accept our hospitality."
They bow, low at the waist, and that seems to be a signal to the rest of the group to break up and join the confused, milling group of new arrivals.
--> INDIVIDUAL NPC TOP-LEVELS
Strange - Charm - Top - Bottom - Up - Down
--> THE REST OF THE STATION
Once explanations have been made as much as they can be, the newly arrived characters are set loose to explore the station itself. The labs are currently closed off, as is the door down to the generator level, but characters are welcome to explore anywhere else they please.
The androids, too, depart the roof, each setting off with a distinct task in mind. Charm and Bottom can be found on the lowest accessible level, the two of them working magic on stored seeds long into the night in order to tempt the infant plants into growing. Up and Strange vanish into the labs, (which open to characters the next day, the biology lab having been converted to a medical bay, along with the generator level).
Top and Down, meanwhile, make their home in the central gathering room of the residential floor for the night. Down is distributing network devices from a case at their side, while Top is noting down character housing arrangements and who is taking which of the station's rooms.
There's also a table set up near them, which is covered in a variety of snack foods that characters can grab and munch on before they head off for the night. Most of the packages have sand or dried salt clinging to them, indicating well enough their origins, and the expiry dates are of course all over the place even on the snacks characters might recognize... But it's certainly something to eat, isn't it?
--> THE NEXT MORNING
When characters come into the common room the next day, there's a set of large boxes on either side of the couch-filled lower area. One side is full of clothes of approximately modern Earth origin, loosely sorted by fit. A note tacked to the boxes says Limit yourself to one outfit, please!
The boxes on the other side of the room are empty. A clip-board set on a white folding table in the middle has a piece of paper and a black pen strung to it;
Trading Post
Found something you don't want? Leave it here in case someone else does.
If you're looking for something specific, scribble it down on this pad with your name!
Found something you don't want? Leave it here in case someone else does.
If you're looking for something specific, scribble it down on this pad with your name!
Finally, those who adventure into either kitchen will find a box of plain donuts left out on the counters.
TRADING POST
no subject
And yet he hears I fought and failed to save someone I love, and he's back further than Zegnautus, than Niflheim. Altissia. Ignis. Lady Lunafreya.
Prompto starts to shift closer, freezes like he's not sure he's allowed, and then reaches slowly--so Akira can move if he wants--to put his hand on the guy's shoulder.]
'Kira... I'm sorry.
[The contact's brief at best, if his fingers even land. Dropping his gaze, swallowing past the lump in his throat, Prompto wrings his hands again, always mobile, like a hummingbird's heart.]
It's the worst, isn't it? Trying so hard, and then...
[And then coming up with your arms empty, a laugh, a friend lost to the waves or to a light you can't touch.]
What about you and the other survivors? Were you... Did you still get the choice to fight, or...?
[Or were you left behind, too?]
no subject
Dimly, he's reminded of Chariot du Nord... So gentle, so eager to comfort. He'd felt so comfortable talking to her about everything - granted, some of it had been said with the idea that they might die soon...
... Then, in a matter of seconds, he's reminded of Ryuji all over again. Those words have his throat drying out just a little. ]
Yeah...
[ Those questions... He holds his breath for a moment, lips drawing together tightly. Too tightly, with how white they turn. ]
We did...
[ ... the 'but' hangs there pretty heavily for a moment. ]
If I were to try fighting one of them right this second, I'd be useless. My power alone is only good for helping me run away.
[ The last bit of the last sentence is... a little bitter. ]
Funny how I would have come out more useful if I'd died.
[ It's not funny at all. ]
no subject
Kurama is mainly down here to check on the plants, but he heard people in the chicken room. Idle curiosity more than anything is what led him to enter.
There is no amount of context Kurama can imagine that would make Akira's last couple of sentences better.]
Akira...
[It's a choked, almost broken whisper. The redhead who just entered the room looks pale and shaken by what he caught of the conversation.
His eyes flick to Prompto, almost searching, like he's trying to understand why Akira can tell something like that to someone he just met.
Or maybe like he's trying to understand why Akira couldn't tell him.]
no subject
The way the other guy says Akira's name, though, Prompto knows instantly he's been trespassing on something private. Something precious.]
Um.
[The baby chickens are peeping, scattering from the stranger in the door. Akira's hurting. The redhead kid's upset. And all Prompto can do is hold this moment for them and keep it as secret as it isn't, now. Now that it's been said.
So he doesn't say anything and pulls his hand back.]
no................
He glances over his shoulder... his jawline tensing as he studies said redhead. ]
Kurama...
[ Briefly, his expression is strained as he looks back to Prompto. The next words are almost breathed out, as though the wind is somehow being sucked out of him. Kurama might not be the only one pale right this second. ]
This is my boyfriend... Kurama.
[ He looks back to Kurama now. ]
This is Prompto...
[ In case... they haven't met??? His mind is scrambling to find the best words, so maybe that was a way of stalling... ]
... I'm sorry.
[ Sorry for him overhearing it, sorry for what he said being true, sorry for... everything, really. For not being strong enough??
Heh... so those two words are the only words that feel even the tiniest bit right, and yet they don't feel right. He feels sick all over again. He moves to his feet. ]
no subject
It may be a little frightening just how quickly all that emotion is swept under the mental rug, Kurama's face and voice settling out into something much more under control as he looks at Prompto.]
'It's nice to meet you' feels facetious, all things considered, but that isn't your fault at all. I'll hope our next encounter is a bit less of a scene from a badly written drama.
[He can't quite look at Akira. Kurama can guess each and every thing his boyfriend is apologizing for and he hates literally all of them.]
Don't, Akira. Please.
no subject
...Yeah. Listen, um... if you two need some time alone to talk, I can leave. You know what, I was already leaving right now.
[He's on his feet, brushing chicken feed and bits of vegetable matter off his clothes.]
Uh. Talk later, okay? Both of you. I'll. I'll be around. Room number three, that's me.