Traversing Aether

[Atomyk]

Link to sign-ups.

RULES

1. You must follow in accordance to Iwaku's rules.

2. No OOC talk in the IC. Please take all OOC discussion to the group's General Chat and all roleplay discussion to the group's RP Discussion.

3. No god-modding or meta-gaming. If you're not sure what those terms mean, this blog post might just be for you!

4. There will be no dice rolls for fights. Some certain actions and events might require them, but only if I or someone assisting me says so.

5. Please post once a chapter. Not doing so will result in your character possibly being removed from the game. At the very least, PM me if anything comes up and I'll do my best to keep you around.


CHAPTER ONE
"Welcome to Aether"

At first, it felt like just a small pinch.

You may not have even noticed it at first, the obtrusion too benign to even comprehend. It's not something one usually experienced throughout their day; an unknown force that seemed to tug at their very being. The pinch soon became much more violent, feeling as if someone had plunged a hand deep inside you to grab hold of your stomach. A sick sensation came upon you as you were yanked roughly to the side into a corridor of darkness.

After the intense movement, the tugging lessened, but you could still feel something pulling you along. No matter where you were before, all you could see now was darkness-- an inky black void that seemed to cradle you as you were pulled along an invisible track, taking you away to places unknown. If you tried to call out, it turned out be useless, your own voice going silent as it left your lips. Moving also turned out to be fruitless, as whatever was holding on to you was refusing to let go.

You couldn't be entirely sure how long you sat in that blank space, but eventually a series of sensations began to assault you. A loud crashed erupted from somewhere unknown, followed by a harsh hissing sound that could have been steam escaping from a pipe. The smell of sulfur touched your nostrils as a myriad of screams echoed all around you. They got louder and louder, the smell intensifying all the while, until just before it felt like it had gone on forever--

You crashed.

You lay upon solid ground, feeling some sort of fabric beneath you. The sounds of screaming had died out, replace now by the sound of dull banging from somewhere off in the distance. Every few moments, a sizzling sound could be heard from above, flashing a brief bright light. Once you decided to open your eyes and take a look at your surroundings, you quickly saw what was most apparent-- you were not alone. Others, just like you, were waking up in various states of confusion. You all sat on a grand red carpet that ran the length of the room. Under that carpet were pristine beige tiles, their reflective surfaces looking dull with bits and pieces of debris laying on top of them. The room was rectangular, illuminated only consistently by red flashing lights lining the ceiling. On one end of the room stood large metal double doors, while the other end featured a statue that reached toward the ceiling. The statue depicted twin snakes winding around a winged staff, though one of its wings had broken off and fallen to the carpet below. Some of you would recognize this statue as a depiction of the Caduceus medical symbol. Beyond the statue sat an oak desk that ran the length of the wall, flanked by metal doors. Computers and chairs sat behind the desk, resembling a secretary's work space.

Above this desk was a large banner draped on the wall. On this banner read--

Welcome to Aether

---

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Epilogue

~CAST LIST~
@Atomyk as Nathan Prescott [Life is Strange]
@TheSpringwoodSlasher as Locus [Red vs Blue]
@Mighty Roman as Leo Elster [Humans] and The Doctor [Doctor Who]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Ash Williams [Evil Dead] and Johnny [The Room]
@C.T. as Doctor Emily Grey [Red vs Blue]
@Gibbons as Sendo Takeshi [Hajime no Ippo]
@The Silver Paladin as Yuriko Omega [Command and Conquer: Red Alert]
@OrlandoBloomers as Max Rockatansky [Mad Max]
@Kaykay as Huang Rong [Legend of the Condor Heroes]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Carl Grimes [The Walking Dead]
@Jeremi as Rhonda Kerske [Dead Rising] and Roberta Mendez/Captain America [Marvel Comics]
@york as Jean Kirstein [Attack on Titan]
@Gummi Bunnies as William "Will" Owen Herondale [Infernal Devices]
@Lizzy as Shion and Nezumi "Rat" [No. 6]
@BarrenThin as Jean-Luc Picard [Star Trek]
@Gen. Gwazi Senpai as The Master [Doctor Who]
@Lissamel as Catherine [Gregory Horror Show]
@CookieMonster as Jenny [Doctor Who]
@Ryu Keiko as Daniel Angelle [Original Character]
@ResistingTheEnlightened as Alan Wake [Alan Wake] and Sherlock Holmes [Sherlock Holmes]
@Arcadium as Travis [Mother 4]
@Saint Guillotine as Emily Kaldwin [Dishonored]​

 

[Minerva]

Link to sign-ups.

RULES

1. You must follow in accordance to Iwaku's rules.

2. No OOC talk in the IC. Please take all OOC discussion to the group's General Chat and all roleplay discussion to the group's RP Discussion.

3. No god-modding or meta-gaming. If you're not sure what those terms mean, this blog post might just be for you!

4. There will be no dice rolls for fights. Some certain actions and events might require them, but only if I or someone assisting me says so.

5. Please post once a chapter. Not doing so will result in your character possibly being removed from the game. At the very least, PM me if anything comes up and I'll do my best to keep you around.


CHAPTER ONE
"Welcome to Aether"

At first, it felt like just a small pinch.

You may not have even noticed it at first, the obtrusion too benign to even comprehend. It's not something one usually experienced throughout their day; an unknown force that seemed to tug at their very being. The pinch soon became much more violent, feeling as if someone had plunged a hand deep inside you to grab hold of your stomach. A sick sensation came upon you as you were yanked roughly to the side into a corridor of darkness.

After the intense movement, the tugging lessened, but you could still feel something pulling you along. No matter where you were before, all you could see now was darkness-- an inky black void that seemed to cradle you as you were pulled along an invisible track, taking you away to places unknown. If you tried to call out, it turned out be useless, your own voice going silent as it left your lips. Moving also turned out to be fruitless, as whatever was holding on to you was refusing to let go.

You couldn't be entirely sure how long you sat in that blank space, but eventually a series of sensations began to assault you. A loud crashed erupted from somewhere unknown, followed by a harsh hissing sound that could have been steam escaping from a pipe. The smell of sulfur touched your nostrils as a myriad of screams echoed all around you. They got louder and louder, the smell intensifying all the while, until just before it felt like it had gone on forever--

You crashed.

You lay upon solid ground, feeling some sort of fabric beneath you. The sounds of screaming had died out, replace now by the sound of dull banging from somewhere off in the distance. Every few moments, a sizzling sound could be heard from above, flashing a brief bright light. Once you decided to open your eyes and take a look at your surroundings, you quickly saw what was most apparent-- you were not alone. Others, just like you, were waking up in various states of confusion. You all sat on a grand red carpet that ran the length of the room. Under that carpet were pristine beige tiles, their reflective surfaces looking dull with bits and pieces of debris laying on top of them. The room was rectangular, illuminated only consistently by red flashing lights lining the ceiling. On one end of the room stood large metal double doors, while the other end featured a statue that reached toward the ceiling. The statue depicted twin snakes winding around a winged staff, though one of its wings had broken off and fallen to the carpet below. Some of you would recognize this statue as a depiction of the Caduceus medical symbol. Beyond the statue sat an oak desk that ran the length of the wall, flanked by metal doors. Computers and chairs sat behind the desk, resembling a secretary's work space.

Above this desk was a large banner draped on the wall. On this banner read--

Welcome to Aether


~CAST LIST~
@Atomyk as Nathan Prescott [Life is Strange]
@TheSpringwoodSlasher as Locus [Red vs Blue]
@Mighty Roman as Leo Elster [Humans] and The Doctor [Doctor Who]
@Gummi Bunnies as Nezu Jirou/Rat [Tantei Opera Milky Holmes]
@The Man Without Fear as Ash Williams [Evil Dead] and Johnny [The Room]
@C.T. as Doctor Emily Grey [Red vs Blue]
@Gibbons as Sendo Takeshi [Hajime no Ippo]
@The Silver Paladin as Yuriko Omega [Command and Conquer: Red Alert]
@OrlandoBloomers as Max Rockatansky [Mad Max]
@Kaykay as Huang Rong [Legend of the Condor Heroes]
@Jerelin as Cersei Lannister [Game of Thrones]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Carl Grimes [The Walking Dead]
@Jeremi as Rhonda Kerske [Dead Rising]
@york as Jean Kirstein [Attack on Titan]
@Gummi Bunnies as William "Will" Owen Herondale [Infernal Devices]
@Lizzy as Shion and Nezumi "Rat" [No. 6]
@BarrenThin as Jean-Luc Picard [Star Trek]
@Gen. Gwazi Senpai as The Master [Doctor Who]
@Lissamel as Catherine [Gregory Horror Show]
@CookieMonster as Jenny [Doctor Who]
@Ryu Keiko as Daniel Angelle [Original Character]
@ResistingTheEnlightened as Alan Wake [Alan Wake] and Sherlock Holmes [Sherlock Holmes]​

Yuriko sat in the padded room in her straitjacket. She looked around the room. It was fairly plain, just a room to keep her restrained. She smiled, and began to slightly struggle. She then closed her eyes and focused. She began struggling a bit more, until she felt the restraints release. She smiled and raised her arms, and took the Straitjacket off. She stepped towards the door, and blew it off with her mind. Two armed guards pointed rifles at her.

"Freeze! How did you get out!" One of the guards shouted. "Get back into your cell!"

Yuriko just smiled, and adjusted her blouse over her skirt. She then pushed her skirt down a bit. "Did you forget that I'm psychic? Now don't think your guns will effect me."

"Ma'am?" The soldier said "plea-" He hit the other soldier and him together. They collapsed to the ground. Yuriko slipped her shoes on quickly, and began walking down the hallway. No Security breaches had been reported the facility, she kept walking down the hall, knocking startled guards into each other, or into boxes. Finally, a bunch of armored guards in Allied colors approached her.

"Finally! Some company!" Yuriko said. She adjusted her tie, and stared down the soldiers. She gave a small smile. The guards cocked their rifles, and aimed. The my fired them, but Yuriko stood her ground. She launched a blast that sent them flying. She straightened her skirt again, and giggled. She began walking down the hall. She finally reached a door. "Well, in I go." She said, and tapped in the door code.

She entered a lab. "Alright, you doctors know where the exit is?" She said sweetly. She didn't realize a guard had snuck up behind her. He covered her mouth, and jabbed a syringe into the psychic's neck. She felt two pinches. One of the sedative, the other that brought her to Aether.

Yuriko collapsed.

----------------

The idea of a facility wasn't new to Yuriko. The Shiro Sanitarium was where she lived most of her life, and she had just attempted a prison escape. Yuriko looked at the banner. It seemed this facility was named Aether. She stepped towards the desk. This didn't faze the girl at all. To her, this felt like home. Yuriko sat down in the desk chair.

@anybody

 

[dalecOoOoOoOoOper]

Sherlock​

Sleep. Yes. Necessary. Sherlock Holmes, finally on the pinnacle of the day. While the murder investigation of one of his dearest old friends (That's obviously a lie John probably made him do.) was finally coming to an end, Sherlock knew the day was probably too, and that this time, their really was a time to rest. His eyes slowly fluttered closed, a mask of darkness surrounding him...
Until they shot open, looking at the eyes of his enemy - Arch-Enemy -, Jim Moriarty, with a sadistic smile. "I have a nice little game for you, my friend. Nice little game... But for now! Night night!" He said in a loud hush before Sherlock dragged his eyes down to his mouth. - Towel. Full of chlorofil. Bleach? Ammonia. No, he didn't know as sleep encumbered overed him..

--

Alan Wake

Alan Wake. The Writer. The Legend. The Light in Darkness at the town of Bright Falls. Or what he thinks is Bright Falls. He's in the Dark Place, where all Darkness resides, where no Light other than those he makes and his own flashlight pierce the veil of Darkness. His books were art that could craft him anything that he wrote, aslong as he did exactly what he wrote, and he does everything correctly.. And yet, he also could do escape it all. He will do it. Leave the Dark Place, get back to Alice.
He began to to finish the setting: Everything as he wrote it, his entire life would change, he would see her again... The Dark Place had a Light begin to pierce, at first the size of a quarter, then the size of a basket ball, then the same size as Alan. As he took his first steps into the Light that blinded him...

--

Sherlock/Alan Wake

Of course though, both Sherlock and Alan woke up, back to back from each other as they both turned around.. And jumped up quickly! Sherlock adopted a karate like stance, while Alan adopted a boxer like stance as they looked at each other. "Who are you!?" Alan asks, as both of them begin circling around each other.

"Shut up, I ask the questions first, who are you?" Sherlock refrains from answering, but asks in his serious tone, staring hard at Alan with an inquisitive face, already doing that "thing" in his head where he begins examining a person... His clothes. Layered. He's a shut in all right. Eyes look dreary, denoting him tired, closed in... His hands, he saw how they closed, but he saw the fingers more: The tips look a little bit.. Burnt? Like he types alot, more than so.. An unshaved and uncut hair and beard? A writer! How interesting.~ He stands up now, correcting his overcoat. "You're a writer, not a fighter. Stand down."

Alan looked at him in astonishment, belittled without words as he stood up extremely slowly. "A-Amazing.. H-How-"
"Don't ask, your name, please." Sherlock interrupted.
"A-Alan... Alan Wake.. Y-You've heard of me?"
"No, not at all."
"R-Right.. Where a-am I?"
"Don't know, fancy finding out?"
"Yeah, yeah sure." Alan then extended his hand toward Sherlock.
Sherlock took his hand, gave a short smile, then shook his hand rather quickly. "Let us go then."

And so the two were off, or well, Sherlock first, followed by Alan just behind him as Sherlock and Alan walked behind the secretaries desk.

"First note, Mister Wake, first note: Aether. Chemical, highly volatile, very explosive, one can almost assume that this place is a... Laboratory. Of sorts."

"Aether.. It's a noun. Meaning more. More of Aeth-"

"Ether." Sherlock interrupted.

"Ether, means danger. I mean, I think."

"Very good, Mister Wake.. Good indeed."

@Atomyk

​

 

[C.T.]

If there was one truth she had held onto all her life, from her childhood years of putting random things into the microwave just to see what would happen, to her grad school years, to her present career on the war-torn colony world of Chorus, it would be this: Science has all the answers. In everything she had ever done, there were laws, hypotheses, experiments, merits, rules...even her grafting of cybernetics onto that crippled cat. The knowledge that though it might not always be apparent, science had an answer for everything if you were smart enough, patient enough and willing enough to find it. Science was more than truth, it was life. And life was full of answers, just waiting for someone to stumble onto the questions.

Even this had an answer. Which was why she was not the least bit worried by this sudden predicament. The sickness was no real big deal, she knew how to deal with every illness of the 25th century. The pinch started off relatively benign before growing into a violent pull forward, walls of blackness rising up and replacing all she saw. A dark void, complete with utter and eerie silence. An environment free from audio stimuli.

It's like space without stars. Wow...never thought I'd miss the comforting presence of giant balls of luminous plasma that would eventually go supernova and wipe out every living thing in a certain radius.

But there was a first time for everything. She just sat in the dark void, taking it all in with the curious mind of a child like when she was young and everything was new. Enthusiastic and open to all the possibilities. So lost in her thoughts, she jumped up in alarm when the crash hit quickly followed by the rough hissing sound. Neither of which she was sure of the origin but the next thing, the unmistakable scent of sulfur wafting in. If her wait in the void was long, this crescendo of noise and smell was brobdingnagian in nature.

This whole trip through...wherever...it reminded her of the feeling and effects of the teleportation cubes they had used frequently back home. Much longer and more in depth than the brief sensation of the teleportation, but similar in principle. She thought back to what Doc said when he was separated from the Reds and Blues.
​

Oh, Tucker!! Caboose!! It's so good to see you! It was horrible!! Grif threw that future cube, and I was teleported away to some foreign place; another dimension where time and space refuted all logic as we know it! A place where I drifted for what seemed like an eternity! And after a while, I lost my mind! Then I found it! Then I lost it again. Oh, but it was the thought of you all tirelessly searching for a way to bring me back that kept me going all that time. And look!! Look how my faith in my friends has been rewarded!!! Oh, I love you guys!!!​

...Not entirely dissimilar at all. That thought hit her and she herself hit the floor with a crash. And a smile. :D Solid objects! That was a good first indicator. If she could see and touch and feel...science hypothesis-es were built all around the senses! She could at least form good judgements about the place, opening her eyes and adjusting to the light. Her hyper-intelligent mind swiftly took in all the stimuli.

Doctor Grey Mental Current Events Log!
1. There were many others.
2. The room was decked out with a quite pleasant shade of red that really popped in comparison to the beige underneath.
3. Debris scattered the room.
4. Impressive set of metal double doors at one end. High grade.
5. An ornate statue of a very familiar symbol. Every medical professional worth their salt knew what it was and this prodigy is no different! Behind it were another set of metal doors and computers and such, indicating a modern time at least. Hopefully that was good.
6. A banner welcoming her to...Aether. She'd never heard of it but at least exploring new places was always fun and--

She recoiled in alarm when she spotted one of the many people here. Not just anyone...very familiar to her. Day in and day out, having been on the same force with him for years. But it was all a lie. He had never been on her side at all. Him and Felix and all their scumbag murdering bastards, all secretly playing them and keeping the war going just so everyone ended up dead and the world would be free for the corrupt company to nab for whatever they were after. She focused, making sure...yes. It was undeniable. The smile that had been present on her face ever since arrival faded away.

7. Locus was here.

She gulped, gathering her wits. If anyone needed to be checked up on by her, it was him. But perhaps he could be talked with. He had listened to her before! She approached him, slow and wary, keenly aware that this man was dangerous and more than a little unstable...but she was a doctor. If she looked at him like another patient...hmm.

"...Locus."

@Atomyk @TheSpringwoodSlasher @others​

 

[BarrenThin]

Prologue: Aboard the Enterprise

Everything was going wrong.

Jean-Luc was pacing the bridge of the Enterprise-D. Everything was going wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen. He'd told them not to go this. Ordered them not to, on threat of punishment. What could he actually do, though? Nothing. He was utterly helpless. Subject to their whims. And this damndable pinch... He considered going to see Beverly about it, but it was more uncomortable than anything. It would pass. What was going on in his office would not.

Ryker came out the door to his office. His Number One. His best friend. "It's time, Captain. You need to come back inside." Jean-Luc felt the dread rising in his stomach as he nodded briefly. There was no avoiding it. He'd seen what was in there... and, God help him, it wasn't going anywhere.

The pinching was getting worse, slowly, but noticeably.

The Captain made it over to the door before stopping. "Merde... But, Number One-" Jean-Luc started to object sternly. He would not allow this to happen.

"Ah. No buts. It has to happen." The smug look on Ryker's face belied his betrayal.

Jean-Luc stepped through the door... and was assaulted by a chorus of "Happy Birthday, Captain!"s and the smiles of a group of friends he'd come to love dearly over the past years. Warf and Data were the only people not smiling, and, well... Warf was Warf, and Data just couldn't feel anything to compel him to genuinely smile.

Picard cringed. Less because of what they were doing against his wishes, than because the pinching was truly starting to hurt. But, of course, most of them just took it as him being the same grumpy old Captain they had thrown the party for.

"Oh, lighten up, Jean-Luc! You honestly didn't expect us to just skip your birthday, did you?" Beverly smiled at the Captain. Warf just muttered something about wanting to honor the Captain's wishes, and Data frowned inquisitively. He was quite clearly lost on why they did this when told not to.

Jean-Luc was too distracted to be angry or appreciative. The pinching was getting much worse. He sat down and looked around with a forced smile.

As average as his efforts to hide his discomfort were, there was one person it simply couldn't be hidden from; Deanna Troi. The ship's counselor. Her smile had quickly faded almost as soon as he walked in the room. Now, it was replaced by a look of concern that quickly earned everyone that noticed's attention. "Captain?" She asked. "Are you alright?"

Jean-Luc couldn't find the energy to respond. It was an odd sort of pain. It didn't feel physically painful, in any normal sense. It was pulling at his very being. His vision began to blur. "Jean-Luc? Jean-Lu-?"

He was pulled suddenly into darkness. His mouth opened to shout for help, but no sound escaped. Where was he? What was happening? Noises filtered in... not good ones. Something bad was going on, wherever he was.

Everything was finally revealed. He sat up slowly, then stood tall.

What the Hell had Q done this time? His first order of business was going around to check on the others who were waking up. "Is everyone alright?"

@Anyone​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Everything had gone amiss. The Simulation Troopers had managed to deliver a stunning defeat to the Space Pirates back on Chorus by revealing Felix and Locus's true intentions for the planet. Their employer who went by the moniker of Control of course didn't take this news very well. Having escaped to regroup and rethink their strategy, Locus and Felix stood in front of the monitor built into their ship as a silhouetted figure appeared and began to speak.

"Locus, Felix. I put my trust into you two and yet what results have you shown for it? Kimball and Doyle are still alive and well. Why I'd even go as far as to say that you two have managed to squander all of the time and resources I've allocated towards you!" Control chided as Felix audibly groaned and folding his arms, he'd turn his head to glance at his partner as he started up on a response of his own. "Don't worry, the people person's got this." He'd pat Locus mockingly on the shoulder before he faced the monitor.

"Listen Control, we're doing the best we can here. You've given us the guns, the men, that's all well and dandy. But how the hell do you expect us to ever imagine that those idiots would get one over on us, us! I dunno about you but phew! The sheer thought blows my mind. But I don't like being tricked like that. Especially not by dumb asses like Tucker and his band of pals. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice? Never gonna happen."​

It was then as Felix was about to continue on another ego-stroking spiel that Locus finally spoke up. His voice was deep and reverberating with a tone of authority behind it that caught even Felix by surprise.

"Felix."

"Oh so the stoic gunman finally speaks his mind! Please, Locus enlighten Control on what it is you have to say!"

"..Fine." Felix murmured before going silent. Neither of the two could see Control's face as was the point of the silhouette but from the body language, he did seem more relaxed now that Locus was the one doing the talking. "What was it you wished to add, Locus?"

"It's simple. A mistake was made, it'll be corrected. But it'll require assistance."

"Hah! That's brilliant Locus! Just put up an ad for everybody to see. Mercenaries hiring for genocide of planet. Really big paycheck as a reward. That'll bring all of the scum of the galaxy just wanting to get suited up and shoot somebody in the face."

"No. I already have a means of acquiring outside talent to our mission. Once we've done so, we'll report back to you Control. Is that satisfactory?"

"..For now. I'll assume that you have a good idea of what you're doing, Locus. I'll be most displeased if I have to contact you two again. That's all for now." With that the monitor's screen faded to black and the two mercs were left to their own devices once again. Throwing his hands up in the air, Felix started for the exit. "Oh yeah, don't let your partner in on your plan. That's how teamwork goes. Besides, the hell kinda place do you know of where we can get more people to cash in on this job with us?"

"UNSC Tartarus"

"Oooh."

After managing to sneak aboard the prison ship, Locus and Felix stomped through the halls without much to impede them. The guards had little to no idea that these two were some of the most dangerous mercenaries known throughout the galaxy. But before they could reach the cells, Locus came to a sudden stop and gripped the side rail causing Felix to take pause.

"Yo, Locus? We kinda got a job to do here. Don't think that we established a time table for you to take a breather. You mentioned that there is some shining assholes in this floating ship filled to the brim with assholes. So how about we get a move on sometime today?"

"Mind your tongue, Felix. My health is none of your concern. The mission's still going to be completed regardless." The more silent of the pair snapped before everything went black. No longer was he with Felix, no longer was he on the ship. He was somewhere that he wasn't sure of. But the sounds, the sensations he felt/heard were all too familiar. The loud crash of tanks being blown to pieces by enemy mines or rockets. The smell of sulfur seeping into his nostrils. All it did was bring back unpleasant memories that Locus was sure he had buried within his subconscious.

But suddenly it all faded away and he was left to his own devices. Or so it seemed at least as he rose to his feet and he heard a familiar voice call out his name. It was the voice of the over energetic doctor who had aided the Freelancers.

Unmasked Locus

"Doctor.."

@C.T.
​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

-William Herondale Prologue-
"Canticum Flebitis"

Eerie silence. Silence that couldn't be removed once it came. It was dreadful. There were multiple times where William Herondale felt that dreadful feeling. This was one of them. However, it was different. Completely different. However, the silence was that unsettling that he began to hear... a song?

Before he could identify this strange song, Will felt himself thrown into a place that was unfamiliar to him.

Oh great, looks like some place that could be described in a horror novel.

"Bloody hell..."

William passed out. Someone ought to check on him to see if he was alright.​

 

[Minerva]

Prologue: Aboard the Enterprise

Everything was going wrong.

Jean-Luc was pacing the bridge of the Enterprise-D. Everything was going wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen. He'd told them not to go this. Ordered them not to, on threat of punishment. What could he actually do, though? Nothing. He was utterly helpless. Subject to their whims. And this damndable pinch... He considered going to see Beverly about it, but it was more uncomortable than anything. It would pass. What was going on in his office would not.

Ryker came out the door to his office. His Number One. His best friend. "It's time, Captain. You need to come back inside." Jean-Luc felt the dread rising in his stomach as he nodded briefly. There was no avoiding it. He'd seen what was in there... and, God help him, it wasn't going anywhere.

The pinching was getting worse, slowly, but noticeably.

The Captain made it over to the door before stopping. "Merde... But, Number One-" Jean-Luc started to object sternly. He would not allow this to happen.

"Ah. No buts. It has to happen." The smug look on Ryker's face belied his betrayal.

Jean-Luc stepped through the door... and was assaulted by a chorus of "Happy Birthday, Captain!"s and the smiles of a group of friends he'd come to love dearly over the past years. Warf and Data were the only people not smiling, and, well... Warf was Warf, and Data just couldn't feel anything to compel him to genuinely smile.

Picard cringed. Less because of what they were doing against his wishes, than because the pinching was truly starting to hurt. But, of course, most of them just took it as him being the same grumpy old Captain they had thrown the party for.

"Oh, lighten up, Jean-Luc! You honestly didn't expect us to just skip your birthday, did you?" Beverly smiled at the Captain. Warf just muttered something about wanting to honor the Captain's wishes, and Data frowned inquisitively. He was quite clearly lost on why they did this when told not to.

Jean-Luc was too distracted to be angry or appreciative. The pinching was getting much worse. He sat down and looked around with a forced smile.

As average as his efforts to hide his discomfort were, there was one person it simply couldn't be hidden from; Deanna Troi. The ship's counselor. Her smile had quickly faded almost as soon as he walked in the room. Now, it was replaced by a look of concern that quickly earned everyone that noticed's attention. "Captain?" She asked. "Are you alright?"

Jean-Luc couldn't find the energy to respond. It was an odd sort of pain. It didn't feel physically painful, in any normal sense. It was pulling at his very being. His vision began to blur. "Jean-Luc? Jean-Lu-?"

He was pulled suddenly into darkness. His mouth opened to shout for help, but no sound escaped. Where was he? What was happening? Noises filtered in... not good ones. Something bad was going on, wherever he was.

Everything was finally revealed. He sat up slowly, then stood tall.

What the Hell had Q done this time? His first order of business was going around to check on the others who were waking up. "Is everyone alright?"

@Anyone​

"Oh, I'm fine." Yuriko said. "We'll be out of here in no time. Damn Allied Gaijins think they can capture me every time." She giggled. "They always forget that I'm psychic, yet they bring guns against me." She leaned back in the chair. "I can assist you in getting out if you'd like."

 

[Atomyk]

Searching behind the desk would reveal a series of locked cabinets tucked underneath. On the desks themselves were piles of writing implements and writing parchment. A file holder sitting by one of the computers appeared empty for whatever reason. Two stacks of pamphlets appeared knocked over, their contents littering the floor. Most of what could be found were shredded beyond readability. A large red X had been painted on the wall behind the desk, as if someone had made the effort to vandalize the area. Beside one of the computers was a notebook. The latest age had been ripped out, showing only a D in the top right corner.

Examining the computers would reveal that two of them were simply asleep, there bright screens flashing on once the mouse or keyboard were touched. Passwords were required for both of them. The third computer would not turn on no matter what was done to it.

The metal door closest to Sherlock and Alan opened to reveal a teenage boy stepping out of it as if in a trance. As the door closed behind him, the boy reacted with a jump, turning sharply to face those lingering behind the desk.

With his eyes darting side to side and his fingers twitching, the boy looked about ready to bolt at any moment. Despite this behavior, the boy moved slowly at first, one hand reaching behind him as if to grab at something in his back pocket. "What..." he muttered, eyes focused ahead on the strangers before him. With sudden alarm, he revealed what he'd been reaching for, a pistol now gripped tightly in his hands. He licked his lips, hands shaking slightly as they aimed a pistol at Alan. "What is going on?!" His voice was much louder now, loud enough to be heard across the hall. Even with a gun in hand, the boy ultimately sounded more frightened than angry. "Who the fuck are you people?!"

Before anyone moved or reacted, he moved to hold the gun in one hand and held out his free hand to the group. "Don't come near me! Stay the fuck away from me!"

​

 

[Gibbons]

He wasn't feeling his best. Sendo hit the mitts as usual, but the sound was rather dull.

"Oi, Sendo, ya feelin' aight?" "...Yeah, I'm fine." "I don't think so. Go take a break for today."

And so the Naniwa Tiger took a nap. A few hours later...

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Sendo didn't know where he was. He also didn't care. But being locked up in what kinda looked like a jail cell, but clearly wasn't, was not where he wanted to be. He was probably gonna go a little crazy till he saw someone holding a gun. Why the hell did a wimp like this have a gun? But still, one stray shot and bam, there went his sight. Or his arm. Or his life. He didn't like it, but he'd have to lay low for now.

"Chill it, I ain't comin' ta ya, and ya stay away from me too. Now fuck off." The boxer wanted nothing more to do with the gun-wielding wimp. So trying to get away from him, and hoping he wouldn't get shot in the process, he approached some chick who said "getting out." He liked the sound of that.

"Yo, the name's Sendo. Sendo Takeshi. Ya got a plan ta get outta here?"

@Atomyk @The Silver Paladin

 

[dalecOoOoOoOoOper]

Sherlock / Alan Wake

Sherlock kind of looked up at the charades of people.. Each and every one of them annoying in a way. He decided not to show it though, looking back down at the computers as he tried turning on the computers. "Yes, Mister Picalo, we're fine." He said, just off of the top of his mind as he continued his thinking. For a moment, he lifted his head at the Englishman who was on the floor. He eyed him carefully, squinting, before simply shrugging. He turned his head toward the Japanese girl with a somewhat uninterested and bored look. "If I may." Referring if he could borrow the chair.

Alan turned around suddenly, Sherlock as well as they both stared at the boy. Each one looked so.. Out of place. Out of character. Sherlock began walking forward, slow steps "Don't be a fool. Almost anybody could tell that with that gun in your hand, your trembling, sweat glands secreting a large amount of sweat, adrenaline pumping through your small pudgy brain, oh, just the normal kinds of stuff that happens with stupids like you. I know that you know, that I know, that by pulling that gun, you're just showing us what big of a threat you are with that gun.." He stood just within arms reach, his hand placed behind his back with that arrogant stance of his, his hand extended toward the gun. "Si vous plais."

Alan somewhat ignored the standoff, picking up one of the pamphlets off the floor, also taking the notebook, beginning to read off both the pamphlet and notebook. Taking a pen, he began writing like the writer he was, a large red X, he wrote on the paper, then the letter D, before reading the other pages. D.. Could it be a clue? He also tried a drawing of the medical symbol, vague but there, before writing about the locked cabinets themself. "Why.. What are we missing?..."

@Atomyk @The Silver Paladin @BarrenThin​

 

[C.T.]

But suddenly it all faded away and he was left to his own devices. Or so it seemed at least as he rose to his feet and he heard a familiar voice call out his name. It was the voice of the over energetic doctor who had aided the Freelancers.
​

"Doctor.."

@C.T.
​

"Right. So your mental faculties were not damaged on this journey." She remarked in her usual bright and peppy way. Then she exhaled, letting it sink in before she spoke up again, her voice having dropped an octave or two and taking on a more threatening tone. "Alright. Talking to you any longer than absolutely necessary is going to sicken me, so I'll get right down to asking you. Are you or your band of..." Mercenaries? Soldiers? Killers? "...pack of rabid dogs, responsible for this?" She asked, wanting to make sure. These others may be unknown, some of them seeming to be also unstable(the kid waving the gun for starters) but taking precautions against a known threat came first.

@TheSpringwoodSlasher​

 

[Takumi]

Prologue: A new start after The Holy Day

It was only days after Shion reunited with his mother, after the incident on the Holy Day in No. 6, when he felt the pinch. He paused what he was doing to frown and next thing that happened; was a sudden pull or tug. He heard worried barking from the dog that had helped greatly since his transition to West Block the animal standing beside him.

Then darkness.

....

When Shion felt himself slowly waking up, he heard yelling. The white haired teen opened his eyes and slowly sat up, bringing a hand to his head before taking a quick look around and processing the situation.

"This...isn't a part of No. 6..." He muttered quietly before noticing what was going on between Sherlock and some kid with a gun. But his attention was taken away from that by the body laying only a few feet away. Slate colored hair, fair skin. His usual attire. Shion was surprised, the last he saw of the taller male laying there was a day ago and they had went on their separate ways then.

"Nezumi." Shion said while reaching for the other male that had his full attention. He shook the other's shoulder until he awoke. Nezumi's gray eyes snapped opened and he reacted quickly, gripping Shion's wrist tightly until he saw those familiar red eyes. He let go then and slowly sat up and took a quick glance at his surroundings before he ground his teeth together in thought, in anger.

'What the hell is going on? This...we can't be in some other facility...this can't be part of No. 6...there wasn't any place called "Aether"...so where is this? And who are these strange people.' Nezumi thought.

"We're not in No. 6, Nezumi. And from what I can assume...this facility may or may not be similar to the Correctional Facility..." Shion said to his companion.

"Damn..." The other teen sighed.

@Atomyk @Anybody and errybody

 

[Minerva]

He wasn't feeling his best. Sendo hit the mitts as usual, but the sound was rather dull.

"Oi, Sendo, ya feelin' aight?" "...Yeah, I'm fine." "I don't think so. Go take a break for today."

And so the Naniwa Tiger took a nap. A few hours later...

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Sendo didn't know where he was. He also didn't care. But being locked up in what kinda looked like a jail cell, but clearly wasn't, was not where he wanted to be. He was probably gonna go a little crazy till he saw someone holding a gun. Why the hell did a wimp like this have a gun? But still, one stray shot and bam, there went his sight. Or his arm. Or his life. He didn't like it, but he'd have to lay low for now.

"Chill it, I ain't comin' ta ya, and ya stay away from me too. Now fuck off." The boxer wanted nothing more to do with the gun-wielding wimp. So trying to get away from him, and hoping he wouldn't get shot in the process, he approached some chick who said "getting out." He liked the sound of that.

"Yo, the name's Sendo. Sendo Takeshi. Ya got a plan ta get outta here?"

@Atomyk @The Silver Paladin

Yuriko gave a passing glance to the boy with the pistol. She had fought before. She knew he was inexperienced, and dismissed him.

Yuriko looked at the boy who had approached her. "I'm a psychic. Most of these facilities, they aren't equipped to handle people like me. We'll get out. Easy." She adjusted her collar. "Name's Yuriko. I'm a member of something called the Omega Program. Just call me Yuriko Omega."

@Atomyk @anybody

 

[Lissamel]

While Catherine is in a humanized form for this RP, any and all reaction images and GIFs will be her usual lizard self.​

Catherine was, suffice it to say, no stranger to unusual happenings.

Hell, if you were going to be purgatory's most reputable nurse, you had to get used to it very quickly.

It was a regular schedule for her. Awaken at four in the morning to watch the news and check on the latest blood horoscopes. And then at six in the morning, her work began. So many problems, so little time. Of course Mummy Papa and Mummy Dog needed their daily doses of medicines (pills so strong you could mistake them for a potent rat poison), and little Lost Doll had injured her leg when playing a particularly rough-and-tumble game with the hotel owner's grandson, James, so that needed patching as well. The hotel had not received any new guests while she slept, so Gregory said, so she was left itching for any sort of excuse to use her syringe and find that lovely, delicious sort of euphoria she so craved.

She found that excuse in little Angel Dog, bless her heart. She came into the clinic saying she was having splitting headaches all night, and it really was so annoying! The canine insisted that she had, indeed, tried asking her more devilish alter-ego about the cause of such a thing, but she never got a straight answer about it. Could you help? Catherine said that of course she could, of course, but it really had been such a long time since Angel Dog had had a proper check-up, maybe we could get to that later. Her claws wrapped around one of her many large syringes. Let's begin with a blood sample. Angel Dog tried to escape but Catherine smacked her to the ground, stabbing her with the tip of the needle into her juicy vein, oh yes, she needed this so much! As she pulled the plunger up she let a shudder rush up her spine, let a purr slip out of her throat, oblivious to Angel Dog's loud protestations and whines. Yes yes yes!

...

Did someone pull at her tail?

This wasn't the time for James to be playing with her things, not when she was in the middle of--

Oh, her euphoria was stripped away from her in a mere matter of moments. She was left completely unsatisfied with that blood-drawing, not to mention unable to assist Angel Dog further with the actual medical problem at hand. Catherine wasn't sure when the blood-drawing ended and the reemergence into bleary consciousness began; and for a moment the euphoria returned when the color red swam in front of her eyes, thinking maybe perhaps he needle wasn't missing at all--But no. It was just a carpet. Catherine pushed herself onto her knees, stretching a myriad of sensations away, eyes scanning the room and all the patrons in it. A variety of faces. And imagine her delighted surprise to see they were all human no less! Human blood was always the most uncommon in Gregory House, and thereby always the most fun to draw.

Speaking of humans, Catherine couldn't feel her tail. And looking at her fingers, she found them thinner. They were also decidedly not pink. The nurse had to take a moment to ignore the rest of the people and gently begun running her fingers around her face. Human? She was human? She knew everyone in Gregory House started human, Haniwa Salaryman and that rat woman helping Gregory were the most obvious examples, but...

"Oh my...What an interesting sensation indeed...~"

[ @anybody ]​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

"No."

He saw no reason to lie to the doctor. What point would it have had? He could tell by how she had approached him that she was already suspicious. No need to push the envelope further by taking claim for something that was not of his own doing. Especially something that had brought all of his unpleasant memories back to the surface with all those noises and the smells of war. As for the insult she levied his way, he didn't feel the need to dignify them with any kind of response. It wasn't anything that he hadn't heard at some point in his life. But he was no rabid dog. He was a solider who had orders and he'd see them through to the bitter end. Anyone who had to die to reach that goal was just an inevitable casualty.

"Your hate of me is very clear. But I imagine neither of our forces are responsible for either of us being here. Keep that in mind." That was all Locus felt had to be said. Regardless of her opinion concerning him or his line of work, she was still the only familiar face he saw among these people. He didn't know whether any of them could be trusted, certainly not the child who seemed insistent on waving his gun around as if it were attached to him. For as talkative as Felix got, he wasn't a child. This boy didn't seem capable of grasping the weight that the weapon within his hands held. Perhaps he'd be someone to keep an eye on throughout the whole of this thing.

@C.T. @Atomyk​

 

[Atomyk]

The boy turned on Sendo first, though kept his gun trained on Alan. His eyes went wide at the comment for a moment, though once the realization of what he'd heard set in, he bit down on his lip in anger. "You didn't just tell me to fuck off--" The boy spat his words, cutting himself off sharply once he noticed Sherlock approaching. Moving to grip the gun with both hands now, the boy managed to steady his grip on the approaching man. "What did I just say?!" he snapped.

As Sherlock got closer and closer, the boy didn't seem primed to back down. His fear was still apparent; his eyes were wide like saucers and sweat still fell easily from his forehead. Despite this, the boy only seemed emboldened by what he was hearing. "You-- fuck you! You're calling me stupid-- who do you think you are!?" The gun wavered in the boy's grip, his hands going white from gripping the weapon so tightly. "I am a threat. I don't see you with a gun, you fuck." He stared at Sherlock's outstretched hand like it was a snake ready to pounce him. Then, slowly, looked up to meet Sherlock's eyes, angling his gun to aim up at the man's head. "Don't talk down to me."

Alan would find that the computers indeed turned on, but that they both required a password. Though the pamphlets were unreadable, collecting enough pieces would at least reveal the title: An Introduction to Aether. Further examination would reveal that the front page mentioned a Welcome Center. No visible text was apparent on the notebooks.

@ResistingTheEnlightened @Gibbons

​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

By the time that Will had recovered from his sudden fainting, he seemed to be acting as if he were having a hangover.

"I'm have that dream again... aren't I? The dream where everybody is lost for reasons I don't know... wonderful times!"

Will was making it unclear if he was sarcastic with his honesty, actually somewhat drunk and now hungover, or just saying things because he can.

@Atomyk @ppl​

 

[Takumi]

"Are you alright?" Shion asked Will with a look of confusion showing on his face. Nezumi just watched what was happening between Sherlock and the kid with the gun closely. He wouldn't mind taking down a threat towards both him and Shion. That was the last thing they needed.

@Atomyk @ResistingTheEnlightened @Gummi Bunnies

 

[C.T.]

"...Hate?" She repeated, questioning. "You? No. I don't hate you." She straightened up to her full height, even standing on tiptoes to stand on equal level or above the mercenary. "You're a liar. Day in and day out, in the trenches of war. Bloody, explosive...we thought we needed you. That the Federal Army of Chorus could count on you to fight for us, to help us reclaim a planet torn apart from strife. But you weren't, were you? You and your partner and all the rest. You just wanted us dead and gone. A planet full of ghosts. I lost friends, many of them, in the war." She glowered at Locus. "I want to hate you. But I don't. I can't." She stepped back a single step.

"Because I know what you are. You're a broken, empty shell of a man. There's nothing left of you to hate. We were on the same side for years, Locus. And I'm a certified genius in many disciplines. I can read you like a book. You're trying to hold on to a time long past, trying to justify your actions with distance. That you're a machine, not a man. You gave up your own name for the name of your armor. You know, the men talk a lot. Gossipers, the Federal Army. You and me both, they've traded tales about us. They call us crazy. Maybe they're right. Maybe we're both crazy, driven nuts by war. But there's a difference between us. I'm a doctor. I help and heal." Her glare intensified.

"And you're a killer. You damage and destroy. Do you know what it's like, to be working full time in a field hospital overflowing with patients injured and crippled by war? Do you know what it's like to know you'll fail, that you'll never succeed at saving them all? Do you know what it's like to not have enough left of a friend to even bury?" She asked in rapid succession. "You don't have to answer. I don't expect it from an emotionless robot. I don't hate you. But friends long gone, I can see all their faces in my head. Sights I'll never forget." Tears began to brim at the corners of her eyes before she shook her head, muttering lightly to herself. "Happy place. Happy place."

"You're unarmed and unarmored. What is to stop me from punching you on their behalf?"

@TheSpringwoodSlasher​