EVENT ★ ROLLING 'ROUND THE BEND

[futurologists]

ASTERION PRISON The white light is blinding. The weightlessness continues. The air thins into nothingness, though those who breathe won't feel the pain of suffocation -- in fact, they won't feel the need to breathe at all. The sensation continues for what may seem like a second or an eternity; it's impossible to tell. And then the floor hits you. Or rather, you hit the floor. It's cold and metal and as your vision returns, you'll find you're not alone in this small room, though you're definitely not with anyone you know: standing in front of you is a brawny alien in a black uniform, its many purple eyes staring at you. The alien is flanked by a pair of robots, who take advantage of your dazed state and grasp you in their metal arms to drag you from the room into what appears to be a gigantic prison. As the robots drag you past cells -- some containing other aliens, some containing humanoids, and some containing your teammates -- you'll catch a glimpse of the outside through a window. You're in outer space. If questioned, the guard will only tell you that you've been accused of conspiracy to commit grand theft, and your trial will begin soon. But in the meantime, you'd better get cozy. YOUR NEW HOME Asterion Prison is a dreadnought class spaceship with several different cell blocks making up a majority of its innards, with the rest of the space designated for day-to-day running of the ship and living quarters for the guards. Audentes is housed in Block 26, which has six tiers of cells situated in a circle around the main recreational area, out of which juts the Block 26 guard tower. Each inmate, including Audentes recruits, has a glowing blue symbol emblazoned on their forehead. Though it's not immediately clear what the symbols mean, inmates who have been around longer will explain: it's a record of how many lives you've taken, a way for the guards to know who's the most dangerous. The symbol glows through any kind of attempt at covering it -- whether by makeup, clothing, hair, or something else -- so it's best to learn to deal with it quickly. Speaking of clothing, whatever recruits were wearing upon their abduction has been replaced by a uniform orange jumpsuit. Similarly, any weapons are no longer present, though those with a special connection to their weapons will feel that they are being held elsewhere on the ship. Luckily, the guards appear to have overlooked jewelcomms, so Audentes will be able to communicate with each other via magitek (text only is suggested, of course, unless you want to get caught!), though contact with Oska or any other outside ALASTAIR recruit seems to be blocked. LOCKDOWN As long as inmates keep to themselves and don't bother the guards, things run pretty smoothly. Two meals a day, five hours of sleep, and all the weights you need to get yourself swole. But on the sixth day in Asterion Prison, all hell breaks loose. No one knows who started it, but there's suddenly a loud roar from the milling crowd in the recreational area. Most inmates scatter, but some rush in -- to see what's going on or to get a piece of the action themselves, who knows -- and then everything becomes an all-out brawl. Super strong aliens with various powers fight each other loudly and violently while others cower and run for cover. The old alien ducks behind his chess board just in time to avoid a barbell sailing overhead; a six-armed being shoots lava out of its mouth, which does nothing to the metallic floor but severely burns a group of humanoid toads wielding shivs. The fight goes on for a few long minutes before correctional officers and their robot guards pour in to try and get things under control. Those who are still around once the officers come in are in threat of being dragged off to solitary, even if they had nothing to do with the brawl, so make yourself scarce unless the idea of sitting in the dark for another six days seems appealing. OOC NOTES Welcome to space prison! We hope you'll enjoy your stay. There is a plotting write-up here with extra information about the prison ship, and please note that participation in the symbol directory is mandatory. If you have any questions about the prison that aren't answered here, please direct them to the Leramzen dossier. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ and you may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Comments

[grunehexe]

[For now.]

He said he wanted "the good stuff", so I assume he will need something someone bought from requisitions originally. Or smuggled in- I imagine that sort of thing must still be possible here...

[She hopes, anyway. If anyone is smuggling things in, it means there's a weak point.

The thought makes her pause, mulling it over for a moment.]

Are you managing alright?

[Perhaps it seemed a touch sudden, topic whiplash, but.]

[moneyballer]

No, you're right.

[He had noticed a few things too. One of the girls had a compact mirror in her back pocket, janky and rusty on the outside but functional nonetheless. She had tried to conceal it by putting the thing in her lap, and it was at that exact moment that Asher happened to be passing by. Not like he was gonna rat her out to the guards- Girl was gettin' her primp on, and hey. He respected that.

The 1L is entirely ready to discuss any theories about the Asterion prison trade when he is blindsided by that question, surprised that she seems to care about his well being at all. He can never quite be sure where he stands with her, as Sieglinde isn't one to talk openly about her emotions.]

I'm doin' okay, I think.

[His chin slides into his hand as he replies, mulling over the truth of his answer.]

Some of the others are really freakin' out.

[grunehexe]

Mmm.

[It was difficult for Sieglinde... to be open about things. Not when she had as many secrets as she did, when half of what she told people about her past and her powers was based in falsehoods. It had seemed true to her most of her life, but she knew it for lies now, yet parroted them still. But she cares. More than she likes to let on, in certain cases, but that care just... often took a backseat to other things.

Like duty, or experiments, or survival.]

I cannot blame them... it is hardly right or natural for beings to be caged in like this. I do not like the mystery of it myself.

[By whose authority were they imprisoned? How? Until when?

No one seemed to have the answers.]

[moneyballer]

[This is better than nothing, so he'll do his best to keep things moving.

With an upturn of his lips and the quirk of an eyebrow, Asher throws a silly curveball her way. If they're biding their time here, they can't get too bogged down in the nitty-gritty.]

Isn't that what science is all about, though?

The mystery.

[He tilts his head to the side.]

Too bad you're from ye olden days, 'cause uh.

I'm pretty sure you'd have a thing for the Hardy Boys. Ever heard of those guys?

[grunehexe]

Except scientific tests will not reveal to us why we were taken here, or what our punishment is to be.

[Far too many unknown variables, players, and pieces... like a chessboard with pieces obscured. Mystery might be what she spent her life with, what her duty was based upon... but she liked solving them. Bringing the truth to the light and understanding the unknown.

Maybe she didn't like mysteries much at all.]

Who are these hardy boys? What makes their constitutions so noteworthy?

[Hardy with a big "H", Sieglinde...]

[moneyballer]

[He has to nod solemnly at that. There was a talk of a trial- Does that mean they're going to get a lawyer?

A real one?]

They're two bros who solve a whole buncha mysteries.

I mean, some of the stories are kinda lame, but, I dunno.

It seems like something you'd be into.

[Joking, though only half-heartedly-]

You got a thing for twins?

[they aren't actually twins, asher

it's a good thing she's never read this series]

[grunehexe]

Fraternal or identical?

[Sieglinde, asking the Important Questions.]

[moneyballer]

[said with one HELL of a smirk:]

Why?

[doN'T]

You have a preference?

[grunehexe]

Of course.

[WHAT OTHER ANSWER COULD ONE POSSIBLY EXPECT?]

Fraternal twinning is more likely to be genetically passed on than instances of identical twins, which is more of a bodily accident, really.

[Just in case he didn't know that, she adds a bit of explanation...]

I'm trying for only single heir, so I would obviously prefer an identical twin.

[moneyballer]

I'm callin' bullshit, girly-girl.

[she is 13

but u kno what, she probably made one 2 many comments about his sex life so this is payback tbh]

You just wanna be sandwiched between two hot dudes.

[grunehexe]

[Admittedly, it is just desserts.

Her thoughts go straight to the gutter, though she'd argue it certainly isn't her fault, he started it, and her cheeks go slightly red, gaze goes slightly upwards and to the left, imagining...

Imagining...

Imagining blatantly maybe a bit too long...]

Well, if they were identical one would hope they could be equally skilled in the bedroom...

i'm going to hell for this

[moneyballer]

Well, think of it this way.

[He balls his hand into a fist, humming softly.]

They'd definitely be the same size.

see u there

[grunehexe]

Well, that is true.

[She holds up her hands a bit lecherously in a... is she fingering a flute???]

But more than the quality of the instrument, one ought give more care to the skill of the musician.

[moneyballer]

[Oh, honey.]

Nah, I totes feel you on that.

[plz don't keep talking-]

And if we're bein' completely honest?

A lot of guys with really big shlongs aren't actually all that good in bed, or so I've heard. They think the whole size thing is all that there is, and, all I can say to that is-

[He cups a hand over his mouth, mimicking a whooping sound with his voice, although it's a good deal more faint. A whisper-whoop, if you will.]

Yiiiiiikes!

[grunehexe]

[Asher has been exposed to Sieglinde's judgemental stare on more than one occasion. Raised to disregard childish and immature behavior for the most part, she's not been exposed to much of what others would consider funny or comedic, let alone slang or other things that often fly over her head.

But rather than chastising... she actually starts laughing at the use of the word "schlong", first off, but she keeps laughing just because... it's sort of nice to laugh. Despite then front she put on of confidence they would escape, observing guards and pursuing ingredients she needs for spells, she isn't exactly positive they'll get out of here, isn't exactly happy about the symbol on her forehead, or any of this at all.]

Your German is not as bad as I thought!

[She might be laughing about... completely the wrong part of that, but.

Haha. His people called them snakes.]

[moneyballer]

[Her face changes so dramatically when she laughs that it almost seems like she's turned into a different person, a brighter and happier girl, free of the worry and excess weight that seems to sit upon her shoulders like an invisible bird. A part of him is truly bewildered by that brief change in character, as if he'd thought that she somehow wasn't capable of showing such joy.

What a wonderful thing it is, to be wrong sometimes.]

German...? But I didn't-

[His lips stop moving for the most part.

Ruining the small amount of fun she's been afforded to have, why, that'd just be cruel, so his shoulders fall and he plays along.]

Thanks.

[grunehexe]

[His pronunciation is a bit off, but she's feeling generous enough to let it slide.]

For the record though-

[She speaks through slowing ebbing chuckles and shakes of shoulder, quite tittilated by the conversation in general and her own brashness as she points... right at his crotch.]

We do not call it a snake, but a tail.

[The more you know.]

[moneyballer]

[wow talk about RUINING THE MOMENT-]

Did you just point at my dick?

[tbf this is the one day his pants aren't tight enough to see Things so count ur blessings green witch]

[grunehexe]

[wait, this is the ruiner, Asher? Honestly, she would have pointed at her own crotch but he had a penis and it's right there???]

Well, your tail, yes. For educational purposes.

[moneyballer]

Yeah, um-

[He doesn't particularly care about EDUCATION at this point-]

I'm gonna need you to not do that? Like, ever. Again.

[grunehexe]

Why?

[To illustrate her point at how completely Rated G this is, unfortunately, is to gesture at it again. Open handed this time.]

It is just us here, and it is not like you have exposed it. You act as if I have never been near or seen one.

[moneyballer]

It's just...

[How does he explain this to a socially awkward teenager who probably has no friends her own age...]

Uncomfortable?

[grunehexe]

[Not like that.

But she gives up with a sigh, leaning back against the cell wall in her hideous orange jumpsuit with a helpless throw of her hands upwards.]

The outside world is far more prudish than I was told it would be.

[A true disappointment.]

[moneyballer]

You seem to have a lot of weird expectations about the outside world.

[He doesn't say this to chastise her. On the contrary, his tone is flat, as if he's merely stating an observation.]

[grunehexe]

I read a good deal about it, you see. In my village. One forms expectations.

[Shes so short that, leaning against the wall as she is her legs don't quite hang off the edge, giving her a prime view of her feet. Her unbound and somewhat normal-shaped feet, that she could now use to walk and- well, she wasn't good at running, but.]

... ALASTAIR took me before I could see the outside in my own world. Maybe the books are more right about that.

[Not... all this.]