Project: Wonderland

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Esmeray

Daughter of Hecate
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Look for groups
  2. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. One post per week
  3. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
My time zone is Mountain Standard Time. I work a very stressful job, and am usually busy.
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
Genres
I don't have a favorite genre. I can role-play under any genre and I enjoy doing so. Though, I tend to stray more towards Fantasy, Modern, Scifi, Drama, Magical, Supernatural, and Romance (BL/Hetero/GL).
Settings


Time: 7:00 am
Date: November 12th, 4073
Location: ACE Headquarters, Brandid City, Earth
Weather: Rainy with your typical industrial smog

Direction: Current location ---> Common Room ---> Jump Station

Mission Status


+ Day of the jump
+ Alicia's Team are preparing themselves for the jump



Active Players

+ @Saint Allison
+ @RainDash
+ @kimsim12
+ @SugaarCereal



Busy Players

+ @Vio
+ @DoomyCakez
+ @Kitsy


Non Active Players

+ @Aka~Kitsune
+ @SugaarCereal
+ @Andy


*Are to change often
 
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Akane Tano flicked her wrist and the blade appeared. It was second nature by now to assemble a butterfly knife, her weapon, and her masquerade as a bubbly girl with a talent for murder. Another flick of the wrist and the blade disappeared. She placed it on the table and looked over the rest of her arsenal. It had taken time to accumulate so many weapons, mostly from just taking them from her targets, and some because they looked interesting. It was a hobby, she guessed, but quickly decided that she only needed a few weapons for the jump. The rest could be improvised.

Her rifle, lovingly cared for and polished was carefully placed upon the table. Akane ran her hand over it, noting the scratches and dings from use. There weren't many, but each were memorable. She made her peace with the idea that she wouldn't be coming back from whatever this Wonderland was. She grabbed the gun and slung it over her back, ready for use at any time.

Next were the throwing knives. Placing them within sight would strike fear and the idea that she was good at her job into the other volunteer's heads, but she instead opted for the secret pockets within her suit. It would store more knives and she'd appear unarmed to any threats they would encounter. When diplomacy failed, Akane Tano would be the plan b.

The nearby mirror confirmed that her suit was immaculate and well fitted. If she needed to during the mission, she could loosen parts up so that it was easier to move about in. It sacrificed some comfort for this ability to shift, but Akane figured it would be better to be prepared and look nice until she snapped someone's neck. Did Wonderlandians even have necks, Akane wondered.

Akane adjusted her cufflinks once more before doing another necessities check. Check and double check, she always said. Once that was done, she strapped on her bag, quickly shuffling her arrangement around so that she could access her gun quickly. Akane figured that was the most she could do for now, but it irritated her that ACE didn't know anything about Wonderland, but was sending a large team there to explore it. Akane didn't like it at all. Still, it was time to put on her mask and get the job done, whatever it was.
 
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Beatrix Shea put on her orange and black suit for the millionth time. Her techs had done wonderfully with changing out the minor issues she previously had. Her idea was to make it more durable, but still maneuverable. Of course, she thought little of the demands she gave them, and accepted no compromises. Regardless of their initial struggle, she never doubted them. They had always managed to exceed her expectations.

Today was a very important day for them all though. She only hoped her suit would prove useful in the unfamiliar terrain, but with the new modifications, it wouldn't hinder her in most settings. After all, she had little idea of where the jump would take her. The possibilities were endless.

All the potential drove Beatrix mad. She wanted to know more about where they were going and what would exist there. Even if it were filled with horrible monsters, she still wanted to see it all. Most looked at her questioningly, but some shared her view. Plus, with dead parents and a fairly normal life so far, adventure seemed only appropriate. She imagines her parents would be proud and just as curious, particularly since she is following in their career.

With one final look at her room, she grabbed her bag, which contained a few snacks and her knitting supplies, and filed out, heading toward the common room. They were all suppose to meet up in one of the bigger lab rooms, but seeing as how most of them had to walk through the common room to get there, Beatrix decided to wait for someone else to walk with.
 
The morning air hung sodden with smog and rain; the fact it was morning only apparent to Kavi by the cyan “0700” displayed in the bottom left corner of his vision. He was running late, sleep having eluded him most of the night. He strode through the front door of the headquarters and slid on the soles of his grav-boots across the granite lobby, losing himself in the melodious inflections of the drift if only for a moment. He paused at the end, shoving his hands in his pockets. He’d volunteered for this jump, sure. He was excited, most definitely. Yet there was still a tangible atmosphere of fear surrounding the unknown.

Once he stepped down the next hallway, there was no turning back. His eyes moistened as he remembered Valerie’s farewell wave, and he hastily ground his wrist bone into his eye socket, intent on removing any trace of sadness from his face. He could sort his emotions later.

“Omo? You make it alright?” he said inside his head, directing the message towards his AI companion. He received only a simple text message above the clock (that now read 0701) that read: “Yes. There is no need for you to rush, there is only one other person here so far.” She must be busy he thought, still standing still at the corner of the internal intersection.

He took a deep breath in through his nose, habitually feeling the rings of his snake-bite piercings with his teeth. He'd spent enough time wondering what he'd see on the other side of the portal, and not enough considering the people he'd be going there with. He took -The Step- around the corner, exhaling and flipping his hood back.

As he approached the common room, he noticed a woman who looked like she was waiting for something.
"You must be here for the jump?" he asked before blurting out, "Wow, that is an impressive suit, I've never seen one so customized before!"

@Kitsy
 
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Mabry Knox stood passively as she awaited the arrival of her naive twin brother. She had been waiting and calculating contingencies for this mission for months, taking the time to understand even the most insignificant of events. She had no doubt the initial jump would be successful, but she could not be sure if they would ever make it home. She knew this, and it churned her stomach. This was a new world--a probably dangerous world. It was her job to protect Ian, and if she failed to do that, all else would become meaningless.


In fact, it was only because of Ian that she was here. She knew they needed her skills. That was her task as "Monitor-Evaluator," but she still had her doubts about this ACE company. In fact, she didn't trust their word at all. Laying a hand on the hilt of her katana, she reviewed the supplies she'd brought. The gloves on her hands were linked up with a chestpiece powered by the beat of her heart. The sensory implants allowed her to produce holographic images and other information with just a thought. She would keep track of their location relative to their starting point, as well as record notable landmarks and natives--among other functions. Mabry would ensure they didn't get lost.

A sudden force of motion snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up without surprise to see her brother staring at her with a goofy smile. "Hello, sis!" he greeted, laughing as if he'd told a joke. Mabry rolled her eyes, grabbing his arm and hauling him towards the common room, which was their only outlet to the laboratory they were meant to meet at. Ian huffed, pulling his arm away and falling into step beside her.

"Aren't you excited? The day has finally come! We're going to see Wonderland! It's probably going to be awesome, don't you think? I've heard there's supposed to be stuff like magic there. I wonder what magic looks like or if you can even see it." He babbled on like this their entire walk down the pristine halls of ACE headquarters. She had learned long ago how to just tune out his neverending prattle.

Upon reaching the common room, she noticed two others were already there waiting. Probably too nervous just to leave for the lab themselves. That was nonsense to her, though she had waited for her brother. Still, she was more intent on making sure he actually woke up this morning than having company.

"Good morning!" Ian exclaimed, as he usually would. He smiled kindly, stopping to talk to his new colleagues--much to Mabry's dismay.
 
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Today's the day. thump. Today's the day. thump. Today's the day. thump. Blue orbs stare at the blank ceiling in a daze as thoughts run rampant through out the young girls mind. The girl, with long brunette hair, lays silently and still with in the comforting confines of her bed's comforter. Her round ears only listening to her own thumping heart beat. She was restless from her own over imaginative thoughts, and as such very nervous over leading a group of team mates into the unknown. The chance of death is highly probable, and that worried her. Not that she had much of a life working under her mother, or many friends that would miss her. Despite all that, she still liked living. Life had so much to offer compared to death, but she took an oath for this mission.

"Time to take a leap of faith Alicia. Besides they've done trials before...." The girl mumbles quietly under her breath as she rolls unto her side, the rest of her quarters coming into view. The nightstand next to her bed, the desk, the closet, and Bun-Bun's cage. Alicia didn't have much, but this is all she needed. That is everything, and she is completely satisfied with that. She has always been simple and organized like that. She glanced at the clock neatly placed on her night stand and let out a sigh. "Looks like it's time to meet the others Bun-Bun." Alicia says aloud her gaze falling upon the fluffy white rabbit. His cage was rather large, taking up half the opposite side of the room. Alicia had demanded he had plenty of room to run around in when her room was being built.

Sitting up and pushing herself off her bed, Alicia clad in her underwears walked over to the cage and opened its door. Reaching hand in she gently ran her fingers across the rabbits back, the feeling of his soft fur was enough to ease her nerves for a while. "I'm going to miss you. I wish you could come with me, but don't worry I made sure you'll be looked after while I'm gone." She gave the fluffy little creature a soft smile before closing the cage ad locking it. Stepping a few feet away she approached her closet and pulled its doors open. Alicia looked over some of her suits before picking out her favorite light blue Nova Suit 2.0. It was always a hassle getting these suits on, but at least it fit like a glove. Pulling the suit on and adjusting its settings, Alicia quickly tested her anti-grav boots by walking up the wall and hanging upside down from the ceiling. Satisfied that everything was in order, she turned off her boots, twisted her body so her feet were facing down, and landed on her feet with ease. Next she equipped a belt with holsters for her standard issue pistol, stun batons, and medpak.

Finally ready for the jump, Alicia said her final good bye to her pet rabbit and exited her room. Her boots clicked against the polished floors lightly as she trailed down the nicely lit hallways of ACE. Every now and then an ACE Agent, doctor, or scientist would pass by. Their reactions to seeing her varied from person to person. Some saluted, some waved, some smiled, but most of it was meaningless polite gestures. After all, nobody wanted to anger the owner's children. Eventually Alicia reached the common room, the doors sliding open to reveal that most of her team was already here. Standing in the door way Alicia lifted a finger and pointed to each one by one. "Four...five..., Ah we are missing four people? Hopefully we won't have to go looking for them." Alicia says casually as she finally stepped into the room. There was a large circular table in the middle of the common room with ten seats, and an array of different types of breakfast foods prepared for the team. "Well good morning to everyone that's showed up so far, go ahead and have something to eat if you hadn't already." Alicia gave them all a polite smile as she starts to put together her breakfast and take a seat at the table.
 
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Twin alarms went off simultaneously. A common occurrence in Britt's private quarters, she shut them both off. The lavender haired woman was pleased to see that she'd awoke at the proper time. Not too early or too late. Perfect. She pulled herself out of bed and commenced her morning duties. During which, she thought about her upcoming mission, the ever-imminent jump into the unknown. Britt felt that the crew's complete lack of knowledge on the location which they'd be sent to was completely ludicrous. ACE was currently sending in a team of highly valuable specialists to face the unknown, and also the unknown unknowns. There was a difference. The unknown being things that one knows that they don't know, dangerous things. Yet unknown unknowns were far worse in her opinion. These were the sort of things that one doesn't know that they do not know. In other words assumptions or unexpected variables. For these reasons, Britt was suspicious of her current employers. They needed her... but for what? To be this so called "implementer"or perhaps just to be their little guinea pig? Well, She'd find out soon enough.​

Britt donned her formfitting black and purple suit, her enhanced gloves, and all her other nessecary garments. She plaited her hair in two long braids, and walked back to her nightstand. The egg shaped devices that had previously served as alarm clocks, were affixed into her hair, on either side of her head. Lastly, she did a brief weapon check to make sure everything was functioning properly.

Her gun, sword, gloves, and sensors were all in optimal operating conditions. Excellent she thought, a small smile of satisfaction gracing her usually indifferent countenance. Without a second thought or hesitant glance, she grabbed her supplies and left her quartets behind.

The soles of her shoes clicked and echoed through the hallways as she went. She strode confidently through the halls she'd walked through times before. The instructions had been to all meet up in the lab but upon entering the adjacent common room Britt saw that the other volunteers had converged inside it. Her cyan eyes poured over every member in the room. It'd be best to establish some camaraderie amount them all. It wouldn't do any good for the team or mission if there was tension between the volunteers. "Good morning everyone." She greeted evenly. Then, she went and sat in one of the many chairs in the room. It seemed that the consensus was to wait for everyone to arrive and then enter the lab. So be it.
 
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The first to arrive was Beatrix Shea. Not surprising given the woman's dedication to whatever she did, but all the same the woman was Akane's opposite. Someone who always told the truth. Far more irritating than Akane's own silly lies. It wasn't like they were hurting anyone, after all. Not unless Akane decided that one of Beatrix's guns or suit would malfunction at a... critical moment. But even still, Akane had a part to play. She began to open her mouth to talk when another woman came in.

Akane waited in her place just outside the room, just barely concealed from sight. Kavi Hahn. Biomechanical eyes and... there it was, the famous Omo that he was probably messaging right now. The glint in mechanical eyes shifted when they had to display a message. An EMP then a slash to throat would kill Kavi easily, and dispatch Omo as well. Akane wondered if should wait for longer in her corner before introducing herself. No, the appearance of being late would add to her image. She'd wait for a few more people first.

Next were Mabry and Ian Nox. Twins, both in charge of Monitor and Resource Investigation. Their infighting belied their loyalty to each other, and their way of being underestimated. Mabry had doubts, and when all else failed, should she become a threat to the team, Akane was ready for it. Of course Ian would have to die as well, he'd try and kill her the second that Mabry was dead. Akane made note to take some poisons from Wonderland should she stumble across any. Poison would be more effective in their case. The Wonderland poison would be a benefit, to both see how effective it could be, as well as cover her own tracks.

Alicia entered. Alicia would be a bullet through the brain to finish her off should she go rogue. Akane should have felt remorse at the idea that Akane would sooner or later have to kill her, but Akane knew the end result from the second time they had met. It had been under better circumstances, sure, but brainwashing only goes so far. Akane smiled that it seemed like Alice was to be ACE's Frankensteinian monster.

Britt entered not long afterward. Akane noted the suit performance enhancers and her personality that was on file. All it would take would be a few choice words and maybe she could get Britt to turn against the rest if it was deemed necessary. There were a few moments of silence before Akane made her move.

She stumbled out into the common area and looked embarrassed. She shifted on her feet and looked like she was trying to say something akin to an apology.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I had to count my gear make sure I was packed..." Akane rambled. "Oh! Uhm, I'm Akane Tano, the uh, Specialist. I'm in charge of taking care of threats to the team. Not that you guys are threats of course, but I mean like other... threats... like monsters and stuff..."
 
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The life of a rabbit was indeed one of odd seclusion and inactivity, especially for one confined to such a small inclosure,even if his current human had sought to make the creature as comfortable as possible. In truth, the rabbit could not really voice its concerns of discrepancies, for it was a simple rabbit, seemingly unable to understand the basic cues of simple conversation; however, from the day of his entrance into the care of his current caretaker, Alicia had seemed to find comfort in his blank, glazed over stare...as well as the small twitch of his pink nose and whiskers. This rabbit had been there to offer her comfort, and in turn, the girl had done her duty to assure the rabbit's happiness...whether or not the creature was happy was a question entirely up for debate, for the small creature could not argue or fuss. All he could do was sit and crawl about his small enclosure, every now and then nibbling on the wood chips and hiding his excrement in the nearby left corner.

He usually remained close to the outer wall, white fur within reach of Alicia's touch, as if understanding and being there to offer the girl companionship whenever lonely. She, being that she had little persons to talk to in privacy, took up what she assumed was the rabbit's invitation to love and fondle, but she had never been unpleasant. If anything, this small white creature could feel an unvoiced contentment; however, his brown stare was often caught gazing at the white door of then girl's room...and even on some rare occassions, the white rabbit would hope off of Alicia's bed and make his way over to the door, simply sitting by it. If he was bored or felt closed it was quite possibly beyond the girl's knowledge; however, she had done what she could and offered much more than what any normal caged animal would receive in this facility... Was it that she was sympathetic to the small creature's situation, being that she too felt enclosed and imprisoned?...Whether the bunny understood this was also up for debate; however, the creature only watched, gnawing on whatever carrots it was fed, as well as nuzzling the girl's hand whenever she sought affection...It was a simple life...one of the usual pet based humiliation and silence; however, whether the rabbit was content or hated this was something else entirely.

If the rabbit had taken notice to Alicia's nerves was a complete mystery, repeating the usual process of moving to the edge of his cage to allow the girl to stroke his fur. Today was slightly different, for Alicia opened the rabbit's cage; however, instead of picking the small ball of fur up, she had only stroked his back, speaking in her usual calm voice. The rabbit had taken little notice to it, brown eyes glancing off in the direction of the door as they always did. Alicia closed the cage and supposedly locked it; however, that familiar click was not present...

She dressed and leaved, the door remaining slightly ajar as the click of her boots faded down the hall...leaving the small rabbit in silence and momentary darkness...Until the creak of the cage filled those floppy ears. The rabbit perked up ever so slightly, glassy eyes falling on the cage door before he crawled forward, lightly pressing his twitching nose to the cold metal...Now, the rabbit had always been the smart sort, being that there was always a glimmer of intelligence in his chocolate gaze. One time, Alicia had even admitted to the small creature being able to understand her; however, that was highly unlikely, for he was only a small white rabbit...

The cage door slid open with a small creak, the rabbit crawling foward and hopping down from the platform that held his cage above the ground. He landed on the floor with a soft thud, chocolate gaze floating around to the open door before the creature slowly moved forward, tiny nails softly scraping on the cold surface. In this darkness, the small creature was hesitant, sniffing the air before bounding out the door in animalistic surity...Where he was heading, no one would know...

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

A small alarm clock vibrated excitedly on a small metal nightstand, littered with small tools and gadget: a few broken detonators, a malfunctioned drone that every now and then twitched and sparked, a phillips head screw driver, and a DC powered electro magnetic hover pad topped with random papers and thrown aside candy bar wrappers. This was a small shrine to atest to the small mound that was cover by the thick grey comforter. It was rested in the center of a fullsized bed supported on simple metal frame, a common place in a facility less made to house residents and moreso made to keep experiments imprisoned... Not that the currently motionless mound on the center of the mattress cared, for it was distracted by the fragmented dreams that had slowly started to drag themselves back into the abyssal blackness of the subconscious mind.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The lump shifted, falling apart as a single leg poked through from under the covers, toes curling and exposing the glint of the painted blacknails. The foot was rather small, connected by a bony ankle to a matching thin leg, all veiled in skin of caramel brown. The leg continued to shift, slowly turning over to reveal the strong calf, twitching with unconscious movement before falling limp once more, foot falling slack as a small, slightly high pitched sigh escaped what had been thought to be a simple mound and nothing more...Quite the contrary now as this shapeleds mound continied to move, the waves of sleep falling off as the blaring beep of the alarm clock continued to screech overhead.

BEEP! BEEP! BEE-

Like a small snake, a black arm escaped from those grey covers, glinting in the darkness as it smacked loudly against the nightstand, shutting off the alarm as the lights suddenly clicked on. They were motiom activated, as were most things in this room, the small objects on the nightstand falling and clinking loudly against the floor. That black arm remained on the table, now in the light revealing it to be amechanical prosthetic, glinting a raven black, metal clicking softly as mechanical fingers slowly closed in a fist. Trails of greenish blue carved miniscule designs in the slim arm's surface, slowly slightly before it vibrated and moved, falling limp back upon thr mattress surface...The mound of covers seeming to be sucked back under with a groan of protest....That was until a small, robotical voice called from across the room.

"Rise and shine, princess. The party is starting..." The voice was laced with a thick, New York slang, artificial intelligence blaring to life from a small orb resting on a desk, littered with many gadgets and tools of many uses...
The room was completely cluttered with different mechanics: drones, detonators, tazzers, hand grenades, communicators; all seeming to have been tickered with a pulled apart.

"Hellooo?~ Kiddo, you up? I know you can here me."

The mound atop the bed suddenly, and very violently shifted, rolling over as the covers fell away and the covered form sat up, revealing a small girl with messy black locks falling choppily about her rounded face. Large eyes were closed, hands rising to rub them as she shivered a the coldness of her prosthetic. In her current attire, a simple white tank top and white underwear, it was clear to see the wires, screws, and metal plates that connected the prosthetic to her shoulder, small scars trailing along to her visible collarbone. The girl groaned dramatically, leaning forward as she frustratedly kicked the grey covers away, revealing a slim torso and thin legs, her small feet wiggling as she stretched her toes.

"Ahh~ The squirrel has finally left hibernation. Welcome back to the world of the living, Rillow."

Rillow, the youngest member of the team of volunteers, assigned to the position of "completionist" which, despite her current display, suited the teenager rather well. Those hands fell away from those large eyes, which fell open to small slits, green orbs adjusting to the harsh light. "Yeah...yeah, Samus...Shut it before I turn you into a glorified toaster" Her voice was a low growl, head falling back as she leaned back on her hands, eyes closing once more. She rolled her neck, as of shaking of the last few bits of sleep as the AI, Samus, spoke once more, not having dropped the current sassiness. "Ohh, well who peed in your cheerios this morning? Serves you right for staying up all night tickering with that nonsense toy of yours."

The girl sighed, hand coming up to rake fingers thought those messy faux dreads before she turned, swinging her feet over the edge of her bed as she stepped down. She stretched her arms above. Her head, kicking aside the small gadgets on the floor that buzzed with life... She was leaving anywaus, so why did it matter if she cleaned her room anyways. "I'm already up, asswipe... Shut the hell up already and stop pestering me..."

"No way, Kid. This is the last time I get to fuck with ya...Hell, I guess you could say I am gonna miss your skinny ass." The AI spoke loudly as Rillow disappeared into the bathroom, her voice calling over the sound of running water. "Don't get all sentimental on me now, Samus. I'll be back before you know it."

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Rillow stepped out of her room, the door shutting behind her as she shifted her large pack more on her small shoulder. With little to not knowledge of where her and the rest of her team were going, the girl was prepared, her many gadgets and weapons either inside her pack, or attatched to her suit. Her suit was a charcoal grey with a light blue base color. It was in the currently popular cybergoth style, with small plating on the knees, elbows, and shoulders. Her gloves were padded as well, small fingers flexing as she stepped off, adjusting the large mask she wore around her neck. On her head was a pair of industral strength goggles and on her feet were the usual antigravity boots. Her red pack was filled to the brim, nearly dwarfing her small form as she moved down the hall, her boots clicking loudly as she made her way to the common area.

"What up, Kraimers?" She called as she bursted into the room, eyes glancing arounf at the people that were currently there...She knew none of them. She was suppose to, but she did not, realizing that she had failed to read the files supplied to her about each of them. She was not too concerned, for she was rather aware that they would introduce themselves soon, seeing as she caught of bit of one of the introductions that had sounded just before her entrance. She yawned, stretching her small arms above her head before sauntering her way over to one of the many chairs. She assuned that the others had been waiting on her, but she did not dwell on it, unapologetic as she settled down in a nearby chair, plopping her bag of tricks near her before propping her feet up on the table. She leaned back, resting her small hands behind her head as she let her eyes close; however, she spoke up. "You'd think the geezers on the top floor would let us sleep in a bit before throwing us into the unknown, am I right? Maybe give us a good breakfast besides the usual nutrition bar and glass of mineral water." Her smirk had faded slightly, noting the awkward silence of the others around her...For some reason, she was already missing Samus...

 
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Omo’s tail swung a thoughtful tempo as she gazed upon Brandid City from an enclosed skybridge 200 stories in the air. The span connected one massive tower to another, with a solid hundred more floors to go until the buildings pinnacled. She could have gone to the top if she wanted to, but was content with the diverse view afforded her just below the coiling cloud of smog that rolled in after the nighttime manufacturing was concluded. The city was brightening with traffic on the ground and in the air, the signs advertising various services and brands illuminating the distant streets. She slowly scanned the scenes, zooming her vision in and out to suit her whim, taking photos of a place she knew she might never see again. She had always read about Earth and seen its cities featured in videos, but being here she truly realized just how dirty, grand, and old of a place it really was. Freehold on Mars had been born at a time when its foundations were laid with a level of technology and fervor that demanded everything to be planned, everything to serve a purpose. Earth, so far, had impressed Omo with its obvious compromise and buildings that embraced individuality. It felt like a place that had evolved, not simply been prepared and populated.

Just as she noticed a particularly fascinating air transport repair in progress, her internal clock beeped reminding her she needed to return to the conference room. Shutting off her eye feed for a moment, the AI brought up a map of the tower she’d been given by a steward AI she’d been chatting with the night before while accessing the local info net. She decided to take the gravity lift at the end of the hall not only for its speed, but also for the chance she’d get to people watch on the way. She was pleased that the ACE headquarters was located on the outer ring of high rises, and that while its name was on the tower, it was not the only occupant. Assorted medical groups, transport engineers, and business offices rented space from the Corporation, and she loved to see the diversity of faces amongst the crowds.

As Omo rode the advanced elevator down towards the lobby, she wondered how Kavi was faring. She was able to control her own emotional reactions to situations much easier than he, and they’d been apart the past day each attending to their own business. He may need some cheering up, but she was confident the excitement of the jump would overcome both their reservations.

She arrived at the conference room somewhat early, only having seen a woman with an eye-patch waiting in one of the halls, writing her off as one of the security guards because of her immaculate suit and military-grade bag. Receiving word from Kavi, she backtracked and found him speaking with a woman in a space suit who appeared intelligent enough. She walked in-step with them into the conference room as Alicia called the group together.

Her circuits were filled with curiosities and judgments about the various other volunteers, yet the one that intrigued her the most at the moment was this brash young girl who had just thrown her feet on the table. Approaching said table, Omo stood with her front paws on it, choosing to look at Rillow with bright green "O's" for eyes. "Excuse me, what is a "Kraimer" and why am I picking up so many latent bomb fuse frequencies from your bag?" she said, with the tone of a sincere human woman.
 
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Ian did not need a second invitation; he felt absolutely starved. Walking briskly to the array of breakfast foods, he piled his plate high and filled a cup with orange juice. Mabry, however, felt less inclined to immediately eat. It wasn't that she thought it was poisoned; no, it would be simply pointless for ACE to just kill them all now. Instead, she watched the figure of Akane Tano closely, her eyes searching her step and countenance. To her, it was obvious the woman was hiding her true nature, and it had appeared she'd been sizing them all up just moments ago. After all, it was only natural for Mabry to doubt everyone's motives and true natures. Not only that, but she also highly doubted this woman was the team's specialist because she gave a nice smile.

Either way, Mabry would keep a close eye on all of them, Akane especially. Finally, with some reluctance, she sat down to eat. She didn't have much of an appetite that morning, probably from nerves she refused to acknowledge were present. It wasn't everyday you jumped into another dimension completely different from your own and rumored to be full of magic--magic akin to fairy tales. While Ian focused on what looked delectable, she chose her sustenance carefully, making sure she had an equal balance of carbohydrates and protein.

Ian chattered almost immediately, and it took all her willpower to keep herself from telling him to shut his motor of a mouth.

"So, is everyone excited for the jump? I certainly am, though I wonder if it'll be a bit painful. It seems quite the task to transport to another dimension, but I think we'll fine." His rambling was well-meaning but perhaps a bit frustrating to the more introverted of the group. It was clear why he was chosen as Resource Investigator. He was naturally gifted at diplomacy, and sweet-talk was his area of expertise. While he may never know when to shut up, Mabry knew he shouldn't be underestimated. His medical skills were almost unparalleled, and she'd seen him stop full-out wars in the few short years he'd been an ambassador. His skills were almost unfathomable (especially to Mabry), but she only hoped his naive nature would not cost him more than just some hurt feelings.
 
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Colab with @Saint Allison
Beatrix turned to face the young man who spoke. She was surprised by his looks. She hadn’t seen too many people around with obvious piercings, but that’s probably because most of the people she had seen were part of the team working on her suit. Smiling cordially at first but hearing about her suit, her smile turned into more of a smirk. “I am here for the jump. Want to see the best part about my suit?” Since they were to embark on a magical journey together, she found it only suiting to test his reactions.

“Of course I would!” Kavi replied with a good-natured smile, folding his arms across his chest and taking a step back with anticipation. Her enthusiasm was almost instantly infectious. He wondered, did she have a sort of active camouflage? Possibly a custom gravity manipulator? His questions were left unanswered for a moment as Alicia arrived and gave a small speech, and while Kavi did in fact listen to every word that came from their new leader’s mouth, he made no obvious move towards the food table when she had finished.


Beaming, Beatrix moved closer to the wall. "This is only one of many things it can do." She jumped up and placed her hand and the balls of her feet on the wall. The small fibers in the toes and fingers of her suit clung to the wall, holding her body weight with ease. Showing off, she climbed all the way up and over the young boy. Extending her hands and feet, releasing her hold on the wall, Beatrix fell, turning over and landing in front of him. "Pretty cool right? I'm Beatrix by the way" She reached out her hand for him to shake.
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"Very impressive! It's a pleasure to meet you, Beatrix," he said as he clapped earnestly in the office air, spirals of sparkling golden light drifting from his hands and onto the carpet. "I'm Kavi, but you can call me K if you wish." He clasped her offered hand in a firm shake, The golden light still showering lightly from his wrist.

"I don't know about you, but I already ate, and I'm really itching to just get this jump over with," he said with a somewhat nervous smile. He snapped his finger with a flourish as it dropped to his waist and the light went out in a small, artificial cloud of smoke.


The gleams of gold instantly attracted Beatrix's attention. She stared as they fell from his wrist. "Kavi it is!" Beatrix disliked the idea of using something so simplistic as a name. Once the lights stopped, she turned to look around the room. "Luckily it looks like we won't have to wait long. Seems everyone is here." As Beatrix's eyes found Alicia, it was apparent she wanted to get this jump started. She took in her fellow jumpers, and started thinking of what possibilities they could encounter together, and knew everyone would be needed as she could count the number of jumpers on both hands.
 
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Akane tried to look surprised and startled by Rillow's sudden entrance, even when it wasn't all that startling. When she got back she was going to strangle whoever decided this personality was the most disarming and that Akane's usual demeanor would only put the group on edge. No, not strangle, Akane decided, she was going to feed them their own arm in revenge. Akane slowly moved to get food, deciding that at least looking like she was eating would be nice.

Akane never ate anything offered to her by others. It was paranoid, but so far she hadn't been poisoned to death. The silence was long, but an AI showed up soon enough and began questioning Rillow. Akane was tempted to just answer the stupid AI, but decided not to, and instead started to shuffle her food around as though she were going to eat it instead.

That was when she caught Mabry staring. Akane was tempted to give the other girl a wink for seeing through the disguise, but decided to give a small start and look away, adding in a bit of shaking to make it look like she was nervous. Her inane brother rambled on, but when he finished, Akane looked Mabry in the eye and asked, "why were you staring at me Miss Mabry? did I say something wrong? Is it because of what I was hired to do? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you on edge, Miss Mabry!" Akane even looked away when she finished speaking, as though scared of what the other girl would say.

The words had two uses. One, they would call attention to Mabry's distrustful nature, and two they would put some sympathy onto Akane. People were easy, if you knew how to push the right buttons and say the right words. In the background, Kavi and Beatrix talked, but those who heard would be Akane's playing into Akane's hands.

@kimsim12
 
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Mabry's lips upturned into a small, hardly noticeable smirk. Oh what an interesting person Akane was turning out to be. Her own sense of "challenge accepted" kicked into gear as she shook her head. "I was just thinking how envious I am of your hair! It's quite marvelous, really." Ian quite nearly choked on his food when he heard his sister's words, though he made an effort not to let the fact show. Never, in his entire life, had he known his sister to be envious of a person's appearance. Especially given she thought that coloring one's hair was an unnecessary luxury.

Lightly elbowing his sister's side, he non-verbally asked what was wrong. Mabry only smiled, paying no mind to her brother's thinly-veiled attempts at getting her attention. "Do tell me where you got your hair done! I've been thinking of coloring mine myself," she continued without missing a beat, leaning on her elbows in false interest. This had become almost a game now, a feeling Mabry rarely felt. It had been a while since someone had really decided to challenge her, and it was definitely more exciting than hearing her brother ramble on about useless topics. Not only that, but it wasn't hard to tell what Akane was attempting to do. And if she was going to keep her brother safe, she had to keep the rest of the team on good terms.


"Bry you better not go color your hair pink." Ian joined in, rolling his eyes as if mocking her. Secretly, she thanked him for his ability to at least know when to back her up. Outwardly, she smacked him on the arm. "I can do whatever the hell I want." And then they seemed like normal siblings, arguing back and forth about the practicality of pink hair. Turning back to Akane after making it look like she had won the small argument, she smiled innocently once again. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

@RainDash
 
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Gm Post

♦ Enter Nyx & Electra ♦

While the volunteers finally begin to break the ice with one another and socialize before the jump, enjoying their time in their own world before with small talk and breakfast, two of the missing operatives slowly make their way to their conference room. The other volunteers for ACE can hear their bickering from the other side of the door before a muffled "Fine, fine. Just leave it." is heard. Soon after the electronic door slides open with the usual beep of confirmation and two individuals finally step inside. If any of the volunteers had read up on their files the previous months, they would recognize the late new comers as Nyx and Electra. Nyx while he is large in size, has been detailed as being an altruist and a pacifist unless provoked. His fighting techniques can only be described as influenced by ancient monks, much with his beliefs. He is slow and steady compared to his partner Electra who trained Alicia along side Akane in stealth and recon.

The man, Nyx, quietly slinked his way around the table and found himself a seat. He knew that Electra would wish to speak with Akane and Alicia before the jump, and as such decided to keep to himself and speak with the others while he ate his first meal of the day. Turning his attention to Beatrix, one of the girls whom he took an interest in the previous months, he tried to strike up a conversation.

(will message @Kitsy for short collab)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Meanwhile, Electra sat between Alicia and Akane, like she normally would if they were together, and began discussing with them a recap of the mission short term goals. "I've been rereading the briefing last night and noticed that the files do not contain precautions for if the team were to be separated after the jump." Electra's voice was worrisome, as she shuffled through her many papers on the table.

"Really? That is ludicrous. There should be something in there." Alicia's response was swift as she leaned over to look at Electra's files. When she saw nothing, she was indeed surprised. The leader fell silent for a moment as she attempted to gather her thoughts at the lack of information. "I suppose the research team are confident they've gotten everything right. Though, if you are worried then I assume the objectives would be the same as if we were in a team. First thing, survey your surroundings. Second, find and make contact with non-hostile natives. If approached by sentient hostiles, do not engage and retreat to an area of safety. We do not want to be making enemies from misunderstandings as soon as we land." Though despite have been given a solution, Alicia could tell that Electra was still anxious of their jump and the unknown on the other side. Alicia returned to her own drawing board, wishing to spark some enthusiasm in her close friend and team mate. "Well, what I do is that I imagine what the world will be like. I try to think of the positives, what if this new land is a place of wonder like in old stories? I think that is pretty exciting,and just like here there are probably going to be both good and bad. If we get separated, we'll find each other. We are a team after all. If that isn't enough, I think about the one thing that makes me happy. Normally that's Mister Buns."

"...Thanks, that makes me feel a bit more hopeful. I guess I am pretty excited to see the natives. I've been imagining what kind of specie they will be like. Will they be humanoid like us? Or is it a large massive world with diverse climates and species. I even did some drawings." Electra smiled as she pulled out her sketchbook from her square shaped back carrier. Alicia inspected Electra's beautiful handy work with awe and vigor as the woman steadily flipped through the pages.

(few more posts to establish our characters and I will move forward.)
 
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So Mabry was going to play the game. Truth be told, Akane just wanted to go and get the job done already, and ditch the facade of being this delicate little flower. However, playing with Mabry would be fun too. It had been a while since she'd allowed someone to see through her acting and live, after all. Akane looked down at her plate, knitting her eyebrows together as though she were nervous.

"R-really, Miss Mabry? You never pegged me as the type to dye your hair," Akane asked, folding her arms in close as though they would protect her from Mabry. "I have to do it myself. Because... because I was taught that... that... people would try to kill me if I wasn't careful..." She let herself lose volume as she went, shrinking into her seat as the twins both watched her.

Electra and Nyx entered. Oh thank god I no longer have to keep this stupid conversation going. True to her nature, Electra entered and started to talk about something else entirely. The jump itself was indeed worrisome, there were no back up plans if things went awry, and Akane was more prepared for if the team suddenly became dysfunctional than if the jump didn't go as planned.

"I don't like that we don't know about where we're landing at all. I'm used to pre-planning and thought out plans. This isn't up my alley. Plus, wasn't Wonderland full of madness and insanity? I remember the books being... not all that pleasant. Something about chopping off a creature's head?"

@kimsim12 @Vio
 
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In the commotion, Omo realized with disappointment her words hadn't registered with Rillow. She pulled her paws off of the table, and switched on her ventilation fans, which in turn created a soft purring noise. It was a comforting, calming thing to "breathe" like her carbon-based comrades, and her optimism was not dashed by the unfortunate circumstances.

Refusing to give up on meeting someone new before the jump, she sauntered over to Ian, who appeared to still be consuming food. Considering her options, she opened the conversation with an eloquently delivered sound-bite of the famous feline phrase: "Meow~"

She sat on her hindquarters, swishing her tail, with her eyes displaying in bright green: (^ ^)

@DoomyCakez
@kimsim12
 
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