station72 | [hatch log] i had a dream which was not all a dream

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[hatch log] i had a dream which was not all a dream

CHARACTERS: New Hosts & EVERYONE
WHERE: Station 72; Hyrypia - The Red Coast
WHEN: DAY :025 - DAY :026
SUMMARY: Somewhere deep in the void between multiverses, a fresh clutch of Hosts hatches; getting them down to Hyrypia proves to be more complicated than usual.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. Need a warning added? PM this account please!

STATION 72
DAY :025

NEW HATCHES
YOU WAKE UP and the universe and you in it are suddenly different. --No. That's not right. You're you, the universe is as it's always been, and there's no 'suddenly' about it. But it's been a while, hasn't it? It feels like waking up from a very deep, extended sleep or coming up from the darkness of some wine dark sea. Nothing is different and yet everything is.

Here you are, a small miracle of the multiverse: lying in a small, faintly hexagonal chamber with a gentle white light emanating from the surrounding walls. If you were injured during your escape, those injuries have been healed. If you were anxious or frightened or distraught, those feelings have been calmed. There's something peaceful about waking up here - like you belong. That feeling persists even as you find the tube running from the base of your neck to the compartment's rear wall.

But once the tube's disconnected? Things get loud. A wave of emotion fills that peaceful void - fear, uncertainty, relief, a sense of purpose or loneliness or anxiety. A matching dread. An easy comfort. Some of these emotions might be yours, but they can't all be. After the initial sensory overload, the mental buzz elongates: stretches out into a murmur like the sound of a party happening behind a nearby closed door.

You can sit up - barely -, and shift out of the pod. There’s a ladder at your feet and a little cubby just before it with anything you brought with you as well as a set of crisp, loose-fitting white clothes; while your injuries are healed, whatever you’re wearing is in the exact state it was before. Maybe it's time for a change? Drop down the ladder to the floor of the Nesting Deck and you’ll find you’re not alone. There are a handful others very like you here, all of them somehow intimately familiar.

Welcome to Station 72. Beyond this room, the vast Station is quiet and still. It feels for all the world like a shell for some vast dark thing.

Eventually, a sensation manifests out of the hollowness:

PREPARE YOURSELF
THE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD is sound and sensation: a brilliantly warm shaft of sunlight through smoky glass - a gauzy curtain twitching in some summer breeze - the blooming pleasure of a familiar face after a very long time away. It says or feels like:

( Come meet with me, won't you? )
Where exactly this meeting is supposed to occur isn't immediately clear, but head in the direction that seems correct and eventually Station 72 gets you where you're meant to be: a small grassy lawn in the center of the lush, circular gardens where an aging woman waits on a stone bench. The pin straight sheet of her hair hangs like a graying curtain and the sensation from her is lovely and golden, real delight pouring through her like light through a pinhole camera. She smiles and sets aside the book in her lap.

"There you are. Unfortunately, you won't be here long but we'd like to answer as many of your questions as we're able before you leave this place."

THE STATION
WITH A LITTLE UNDER 24 HOURS before it's time to make the trip to Hyrypia, this is as good an opportunity as you're going to get to familiarize yourself with Station 72 before you leave it. There's plenty to see, but other than the people you woke up with there's a distinct lack of company to make conversation with. It's lonely and quiet and there's a sensation of dust gathering even where there is none. Maybe studying the briefing files on your databank is the most proactive distraction? Otherwise-- well there's plenty of places to get lost...

By the simulated morning, a strange archaic ship has arrived on the Hangar. Its very alien pilots are in the process of unloading-- bodies. No, scratch that, they're clearly still alive, though in some kind of comatose state. One of the pilots - a pale female alien who calls herself Rhan - says, "Well, this is awkward. We were supposed to be done with this already. Uh don't mind us, darling. We'll finish up here and get on our way. In the meantime, why don't you go through your packs and get changed?"

She nods toward two trunks on the hangar deck where assortment of pre-prepared packs are waiting for each new Host. In each pack is a series of items, including a set of beautiful and very all-encompassing robes. Better get comfortable. Not hot on the fabrics or patterns in your pack? Mixing and matching with your new best friends is totally acceptable.

Eventually, you leave the Station. If you're lucky, you might one day make it back.

HYRYPIA - THE RED COAST
LATE DAY :026

A PURPOSEFULLY SUBTLE WELCOME
UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS, Collector and Lyr make their way through the barracks where the Hosts on Hyrypia are meant to be sleeping. It's nearing whatever the Hyrypian equivalent of midnight is; if you're awake, all the better. If not? Expect to be roused (gently and silently by Collector, rudely and abruptly by Lyr).

"Get dressed. We're going for a walk."

There's nothing quite so suspicious as bringing a bunch of reinforcements to the planet in the aftermath of a rather public murder, which means a highly ritualized midnight procession of Carbasuchians into the highlands. It's easier to secret a handful of newbies in an anonymous group, right?

That meeting in the dead of night in the rocky wilderness above the Red Coast bears even a passing resemblance to the strange occurrence on DAY :010 is probably just a coincidence. Besides, there aren't any mystery circles burned into the stone and grass here: just a stealth ship materializing out of the black night and touching down in a stony outcropping where it disgorges the freshly hatched (or newly reawakened) Hosts.

((OOC Notes: This log covers the hatch on Day :025 as well as the arrival of new Hosts on Hyrypia late on Day :026. Feel free to make your own logs and posts additional to this if you care to. You can find additional information pertaining to the Red Coast on the previous mission log (located here); newbies are welcome to utilize that log as well as it occurs within the same time period as the hatch.

You can find a more detailed overview of the host hatching process HERE and additional setting information about the Station HERE. Please be sure to review the MISSION: HYRYPIA ooc information if you're brand new to the game. If you have any questions, please hit up either the mission's question thread, the FAQ or MOD CONTACT pages!))

NAVIGATION • GAME CALENDAR • MISSION: HYRYPIA • FAQ • MOD CONTACT • GLOSSARY

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

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[There's that initial flash of embarrassment at the passing term of "sugar", but Noctis is experience at shrugging such matters away, and not letting it stick for too long. She'll feel it, but also how quickly it drains away, replaced by what must be a lopsided smile behind his hood.]

I... well. Maybe. Not exactly the kind of fishing that I'm used to -- where they throw nets in -- but I want to know what they catch.

[Simple wishes.]

What about you?

[ Oh that's just what she likes to see. That brief moment of embarrassment followed by a smile. It gives her an impression of him that she likes, that says they'll probably get along swimmingly, and that's exciting in its own way. ]

I've never fished in my life, but I enjoy watching them. Seeing people find joy and purpose in what they do.

[ Her words have a smoothness to the vowels, a length to the sounds that speaks of a worldview suited to enjoying the simple pleasures in life. A southern outlook on life. ]

[It's refreshing and comforting, both her manner of speaking and the sensation of calm that it brings. That out there, watching those fisherman work, was just as important and fulfilling as their so-called mission; their bid to save the universe, as poignant as men trying to make a living off of the sea.

It's nice, for a change.]

I used to fish all the time back home. It's relaxing, waiting for something to bite; and then it's exciting when something catches at your hook, and you're wondering just what you might reel in. And you always gotta work for it, too.

[He chuckles a little at the memory.]

[ Rogue has always been a bit of a walking contradiction and she's long since learned to embrace. One day she might long for a grand adventure, and the next want nothing more than to curl up with a book and forget about the world. She can go from peacefully observing the locals at work to itching for a good fight, and she sees absolutely nothing wrong with her way of being. She had once, for a long time, and it's been a winding road to get to her present state of acceptance.

Luckily for her companion, she's not quite up to sparring yet, so her contentment is found in watching daily life in the village around them. Her attention focuses completely on him as he speaks, and she savors the experience he describes. ]

That sounds awfully nice. People where I grew up used to fish all the time, but there weren't many who saw it the way you do.

[Noctis is the same, in a lot of ways. He is not eloquent with his words, or even his body language -- but if there is one thing that affords him clarity, a sharpness of reality, it is the adrenaline that spikes during a fight. Sparring, cleaving monsters in two, hunting. In that way, he could relate.

But he is just as content to bathe in the glow of the sun reflected off of the redness of the sea. It's alien but warm. Oddly comforting to Noctis' eyes.]

Yeah, not many see it the way I do at home, either. They... Well, I'm pretty sure they think it's kind of boring.

[But it's said with a laugh. Curiosity sparks further.]

What was it like, where you grew up?

[ Her laugh echoes his, because sometimes even she had thought of fishing as boring. But that was before. Before she'd been hurt, before the world had turned to ash, before all she'd wanted was a little peace. It's something she hasn't had in a long time. ]

Honestly? I loved living in the South for the way everyone was easygoing and took the time to enjoy life. Sitting on sprawling porches talking for hours, church picnics every week. But... for all the talk of southern hospitality and loving thy neighbor, they could be a really darn prejudiced bunch of people.

[ The whole world had turned out to be full of prejudiced people in the end. Folks who were scared of anyone different and turned to violence to deal with that fear. She brushes aside those thoughts after a moment and turns back to something positive. ]

We had really good food, though. Comfort food, people called it. Fried, spicy, filling, and oh so delicious.

[Gods, that sounds good, is the immediately thought that filters through his head, at the description of food. He misses it, he thinks. Food, good food, something familiar and not alien -- something that he could eat without hesitation, without wondering what how it might taste or if it might disagree with him. He misses Iggy's cooking.]

I could use some fried food right now, to be honest with you.

[But the rest of it, he can imagine just as easily in his head. Calming. Comforting. Like the warm glow of a sunset settling across the images in his head.]

You said you lived in the "South"... but what was the name of your world?

[ Rogue misses being in a kitchen, the methodical comfort of chopping ingredients, selecting the proper pans, the popping oil and wafting scents. She misses being able to create something others find joy in, and she honestly can't remember the last time she'd held a skillet in her hand. It had been over a fire, no doubt - during the war, when cities had begun to fall and already they could see the world ending around them. ]

It was called Earth. I think there are others here from different versions of it.

[ But none so far from her version. No friends, allies, or enemies to be found emerging from her past. It's a good thing, considering the way everything had turned out, and yet... she still longs for at least one. One fellow survivor, one single person who will understand what it's like to fight a losing war, who knows the pain of watching your world die. ]

Earth...

[Not the first or the last time he's going to hear that name, he thinks. So many times has he felt the ghost of that place, whispering through their shared mental links. So many memories of it, and he wonders what might be so special about "Earth" that so many hail from it.]

Yeah. Popular place. I'm from Eos.

[ So she was right then. She's met a few of her fellow Earth folks, but there are bound to be others, and with all the possibilities of the multiverse, it's entirely possible that they're all from different versions. It's both sad and exciting. ]

I've never heard of Eos. What's it like?

[ She's genuinely curious, wanting to not only know more about his home, but about the man himself. ]

It's... well, it's like any other world, I guess. What it's like depends on where you are and where you're from.

[He shrugged his shoulders, a lazy-looking gesture.]

I'm from Lucis, and it was... beautiful. [It's the first word that comes to mind, flashing through with the imagery of his memories. Expansive grassy plains, the cool, reflective water of his many fishing spots. Galdin Quay and its sands, warm and inviting, even if it did get in every crevice imaginable.

Now? It was only ruined with the dark. Smothered with it.]

Beyond the city, there were still places where nature was practically untouched. All the kind of thing you'd want to take photos of, you know?

[ Beautiful. It sounds nice, like what parts of Earth used to be like before the war. There were still too many people everywhere threatening to destroy nature, but in the places where they'd worked to preserve it... ]

Are you the photographer type, sugar?

[ She's never been much for photography herself, for reasons she'd rather forget about entirely, but she can see the appeal of having a tangible memory of someplace like that. ]

[He laughs at that, and it's sincere.]

If you count taking a selfie with my phone, sure, I'm a photographer.

[He shakes his head a little.]

My best friend is, actually. Takes photos literally at every waking moment. We'll be in the middle of a fight and he'll still manage to take about ten or so.

He sounds like the kind of person who really grabs life by the horns. [ The way she might have been, once upon a time. Daring adventures, exploring the world, seeing everything there was to see - that had been her dream until life tore it away. She'd still had adventures, still traveled, but all of it was for the mission, for the hope of a better future rather than enjoying the world as it was.

Something occurs to her, either from the way he said or it just some... sense, and she tilts her head in curiosity. ]

Is he here too? [ She knows there are quite a few people here who'd known each other before, as it the Enemy were drawn to their group and not just individuals, so she wonders. ]

[He nods, offering the flash of a face in his mind; pale, freckled skin and bright blond hair that was shaped a bit like a chocobo's butt, but... well. She wouldn't know anything about that, probably.]

Yeah. His name is Prompto. We've known each other since high school.

[He knew of him before that, but they never really were friends until then.]

That's really nice. I'm glad that you have someone like that here - it seems like a lot of people do.

[ She doesn't, but that won't stop her from being pleased that he isn't alone here. Wishing that on anyone isn't who she is; she finds genuine joy in others having better fortune than her. Just because her life has been miserable doesn't give her the right to begrudge others happiness. ]

I'm Rogue, by the way. I think we skipped that part of the conversation.

Rogue? That's a cool name.

[That childlike part of Noctis, the part that refuses to ever die out completely, is the only thing that allows him to say something like That's a cool name. But he doesn't sound embarrassed about it at all; in fact, he sincerely means it, without any sort of irony laced in his tone.]

I'm Noctis. Noctis Lucis Caelum. Mine's a mouthful.

[ A cool name. It makes her smile, a bright grin that he'll be able to feel over the thread of the Nest that connects them. It's a nice compliment, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't preen a little at it. ]

It might be a mouthful, but I like the sound of it. It sounds special, important.

It's, uh, well. It's special, kind of-- it's royalty.

["Kind of", he says.]

But yours makes you sound like a secret agent.

[ Royalty. Well, she'll have to ask more about that later. His kind of makes it all too clear he's not the type to boast about it, so might as well save it for another time. ]

That's not too far off the mark, actually. I used to be part of a secret team, and we pretty much all had codenames.

A secret team?

[Here it comes -- that burgeoning sense of feeling like a child, wonderment glaring at the edges of his thoughts. In a lot of ways, Noctis never really did grow up, ten years in a crystal or otherwise.]

What did you guys do?

Tried to make the world a better place, mostly.

[ She gives a little shrug, then sighs quietly and looks out over the water again. It seems like a lifetime ago now. ]

We were all mutants, people with genetic differences that give us special abilities. My teammates could fly, manipulate the elements, move through solid objects... Some of them were blue and covered in fur. We wanted to live with normal humans in peace, so we stood against the mutants who thought we were better than everyone else. We helped during natural disasters, we were part of local communities.

[ shifting her stance, weight on one foot and then the other, she firmly pulls her thoughts and emotions behind her shields. ]

But we were different, and different scares people.

[Tried to make the world a better place, mostly. A tug of empathy, of sympathy, upon hearing that. He intimately knows what it's like, to feel that inclination.

But he doesn't interrupt. Noctis only listens, and a frown begins to tug at his features. It really does sound like something from a... comic book, but he's not so tactless to demean her personal experiences and call it that.]

I guess... that's not surprising. Human nature, right? But if you guys were proving that you wanted to be peaceful, that you wanted to help others, that had to count for something, right?

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[hatch log] i had a dream which was not all a dream

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