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 Speaking of clothing, whatever recruits were wearing upon their abduction has been replaced by a uniform orange jumpsuit.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

[predomination]

I know when to give up and try again when I've been backed into a corner. [Urahara's smile is a bit coy, the chess metaphor as clear as day. There's one thing he doesn't do and that's fight losing battles. The ability to accept defeat gracefully and come back swinging with a clear head.

It's why he's sitting here playing chess and watching the guards, instead of panicking or making an ass of himself by pushing things too hard and too early.

He begins moving his pieces back. The shift change for the guards is soon, and he wants to be around for that.]

I'm going to have to introduce you to Shogi sometime, if you enjoy games of strategy so much. It was my favorite when I was your age.

[grunehexe]

A wise man, then.

[She did appreciate a man's ability to discuss chess while simultaneously talking about... other things. The praise was intentional, both for the game and otherwise, but. That was because Urahara was one of the very few people on this team she actually viewed as her intellectual equal- or, better. She acknowledged his years of experience gave him an advantage in that arena.

And assists with the pieces, in between subtle observation.]

Shogi? That is a Japanese game is it not?

[Kojuro mentioned it once... a long time ago, it seems.]

[predomination]

Mmhm. The object is basically the same, but there's a bit more strategy and cleverness involved. Lord Shihouin used to boast that I was a worthy investment if only because I was one of the few who could best him.

[It's fair trade- Sieglinde considers him her intellectual equal and he considers her worthy of the same respect, and there's enough trust built up between them now that he can almost speak freely of things he never says to many. His past is his own business, but for Sieglinde, he feels it's good for her to hear that he was once an overzealous, intellectual child who did things because he could. There's a lot more than just paternal affection there- if someone doesn't nurture and encourage this girl, she could break under the weight of her own genius and what she can do with it. What better person who knows he could have been just that unlucky?]

[grunehexe]

Then I imagine you will be routing me with no problems at all?

[Lord Shihouin... sounded like a patron of sorts. It made sense- in the Outside World, she understood that intellectuals and inventors often needed wealthy persons to support their work. Perhaps it was the same with spirits of death.

She eyes the piece in her hand a moment- a bishop, before she holds it up in front of her, beside Urahara's face, analyzing. No... next she holds up the knight, feeling a bit closer. But if he was that, then... idly, she picks up a pawn, frowning. If it came to chess, anyway- she couldn't move that well after all.

But still, she manages a cheeky sort of smile, setting the pieces back in starting position.]

For a short time, at any rate.