lamentus: (Default)
theorem mods ([personal profile] lamentus) wrote in [community profile] theorememes2025-11-03 08:07 am
Entry tags:

TDM #1, arc 1.0: we drift like worried fire










BUFF



Bonded of The Sorrowweld will find that the NPCs are especially friendly to them this month. Seriously, they just keep trying to give you things. It might get annoying.







DEBUFF



For those who are bonded to Tarnished Az-Mehet, you keep seeing shadows out of the corner of your eye on every screen in the ship, even your datapad. Something is lurking.








At first, you feel a pull. In which direction, you do not know. When a portal of shimmering black and glittering stars appears in front of you, it only seems natural to step into it. On the journey, it is as if you see everything: ancient galaxies wheeling through space, cultures born and growing and leaving their planets, lights creeping over landmasses and them winking out all at once. You see the hungry arm of a black hole, an enigmatic smile under a mirrored mask, a fist clenched tight around an endless sword. Fangs shining in starlight, bandaged feet that have traveled so many miles and still remain sturdy, and code shattering under titanium will.

And then your feet touch solid ground again, and what you have seen is suddenly hard to recall, the merest of glimpses springing to mind when you try to think back.

All you know is that you witnessed something enormous, something you probably shouldn't have seen.

As you struggle to refocus your gaze, all you see for a long moment is white. White walls, white floor. Narrow white cots lined up against a wall, screens blinking above them in tones of soothing aqua and mint. You are in a medbay — a highly advanced one, given the lack of bulky machinery — but perhaps the most eye-catching thing about the room is a long window showing endless black and twinkling stars outside.

Before you can give voice to any thoughts, a small robot flutters toward you, and perches on the back of a chair. "Hello, Wayfarer!" the birdform chirps cheerfully. "I imagine you must have many questions; allow me to enlighten you! You have fallen victim to a quantum accident and have been pulled to another universe, but the Ascendants, in their generosity, intercepted your signal and brought you here so that you did not wind up in empty space. You are aboard the Theorem of the Astral Rose; our mission is to explore uncharted space and search for the Song!"

They pause, thinking, their little blue eye aglow, and then brighten.

"Oh! Introductions are in order! I am Starling's Lament in Flight, but you may call me Starling's Lament. I am one of the Hosts of this exploration vessel; we will do everything we can to ensure a safe voyage for you. Unfortunately, at this moment, we cannot send you home. The Ascendants have indicated that their search for the Song may play some key role in doing so." They whistle a merry tune. "Please enjoy your stay!"

REFLECT


When you manage to get your wits about you -- it's a bumpy ride between universes! -- you start to leave the medbay. Starling's Lament has indicated that you are free to explore the ship, and nowhere is off limits to you. As you leave the cool white tones of the medbay behind, a hallway stretches out in front of you. Both sides are transparent, offering a view into the long dark of space beyond. However, unlike deep space, there is currently quite a lot to see.



On the left lays the broad curve of a planet, lush green landmass and white clouds skidding across its surface. Its star is just sinking behind it, lighting up the very edge of its atmosphere in tones of engine-burn orange and ozone blue, as long shadows cast by enormous space elevators creep across the landmasses. Its most eye-catching feature, however, are the hexagonal structures webbed across its surface, connected by fine corridors with all the geometric precision of woven spider's silk. You can just barely see the tiny dots of spaceships flowing around them, docking, embarking, shuttling between them.

"That is the Redline Trading Post." You hear a tiny whisper, and look up to see another robot — a beetleform, this time, with a shiny dotted shell — watching you curiously from its place on the ceiling. In fact, there are a number of other Hosts doing the exact same thing; a snakeform coiled around a barrier rail, a catform with bright yellow eyes peeking around the corner, a chirping droneform hovering some distance down the hallway. They're all fascinated by you. "But we will be departing soon. You will not get to taste the Galactic Snowball Nova-Cream, the shining culinary jewel of Redline. Sorry. I hear it is very tasty."

You look to your right, away from the planet and the Redline post, to gaze out into the depths of space. In the distance, there is a nebula, its gasses lit up in shades of coral pink and deep purple. It is pockmarked with stars both young and old, newborn stellar entities cradled in the depths of its life-making dust. Set against the dark of space, it is a flower in bloom.



It's beautiful, except—

The longer you look at it, the more something nags at the corner of your mind. A memory glances across your thoughts, unbidden. Something you hoped for, maybe; or something you fear. Whatever the memory, as you gaze at the nebula, a small piece of it curls, shaping in response to your memory. It is your face, reflected perfectly. Smiling, or howling in anger, or weeping.

Eventually, the nebula will go back to normal. But for now, it reflects the fears and triumphs of the new Wayfarers, a mirror held up in the darkness of space.

IMBIBE

Once you make it into the bulk of the ship, the Hosts inform you that as they have just restocked all essential supplies, they will be throwing a party in your honor, and they hope you will sample the food.

Maybe you're incredibly dubious about this. Maybe you're starving after your long journey. Either way, you find yourself in the mess hall. It's less like a traditional mess hall and more like a park full of food trucks with seating in the middle. The food trucks are bright and eye-catching, Hosts serving huge heaps of food from their interiors, as their signs advertise everything from Earthen Ancient Egyptian food (As Close As We Can Reconstruct It!) to Raxalar Black Stew (New and Improved: Now Free Of Grit!).

Real grass is underfoot, and the picnic-style seating in the middle appears to be real wood. The lighting is a myriad; whimsical string lights strung between the trucks, floating globe lights playfully dancing like fireflies, and the luminescence of a dogform's patterns and a droneform's enormous eyes and a flyform's glittering trail. The Hosts are clearly excited.

And if the food happens to have... some kind of effect?

Well, the Hosts say, that's only to be expected! The attention of an Edict may, for a nano-second, turn toward the start of this voyage, and that's bound to make anything go a little wonky. Also, they've used some ingredients from the local system, and it's only customary there to share some thoughts and ideas and memories when you eat together. How else can you properly get to know each other?

RED BUFFALO SHANK WITH SPIKED LOTUS

This may or may not look appealing to you depending on your sensibilities, but it does smell incredible. Soft, savory red meat paired with the fragrant, earthy scent of the vegetable. The Red Buffalo is perfectly seared, and if you poke them cautiously, you'll find the spikes are entirely edible, as long as you chew well enough. If Wayfarers eat this, they will find themselves sharing a memory with the nearest person, a vision of the last time they were truly happy.

UPSIDE-DOWN PLUM SPARK-WINE

It seems the Hosts aren't quite sure of the appropriate alcohol content of substances, as this will burn all the way down, chased by a cool, sparkly feeling all the way down one's esophagus. It tastes of sweetly sour plums, and a potential hangover tomorrow morning. Wayfarers that imbibe this alcohol beverage will start overhearing the thoughts of those around them, as if they are perfectly in tune with everyone.

GOLDEN BUNS WITH SPICED HONEY DRIZZLE

Ah, a perfectly homey looking meal, sweet and savory, gently steaming. These are a must-try for any Wayfarer with a sweet tooth, proudly boasting of the agricultural and apiary skill of a nearby alien culture. The buns are perfectly fluffy, the spiced honey is warming. What's not to love? After eating this, Wayfarers will find themselves and the nearest person sharing a vision of themselves as they might have been had they gone down the worst possible path in their life.

CHERRY COLA!™

This isn't the Cherry Cola! you may or may not be familiar with, but it's interesting that whatever alien came up with this came up with the same Earth word. Or maybe the Hosts got it from Earth? Either way, it's fizzy, it's sparkly, it makes you feel like you're floating on rainbow bubbles. Upon drinking this, imbibers will telepathically project outward a vision of the most beautiful thing they've ever seen.

A CAKE. MAYBE.

Dear god. What is it? Who came up with this? Who is even brave enough to try this? It certainly… has a taste. It… has an appearance. Whether either of these things are good is in the eye of the beholder. Wayfarers adventurous enough to put this in their mouths (or other eating appendages) will find themselves uncontrollably speaking aloud of the thing they long for the most.

INITIATE


Eventually, it comes time to launch.

The Hosts are a blur of activity, some of them packing up more delicate equipment in case of errant gravity waves during initial propulsion, some of them herding the Wayfarers into a seating area reserved specifically for the safety of its occupants during launch, deceleration, and rare turbulence. You are informed that engine flare will be so bright it will rival a star for the next twenty-five hours of engine start-up burn, but you will only need to stay strapped in for half an hour or so.

As the Theorem's enormous engines start cycling, the entire ship seems to hum in melodic song. And after everybody is strapped in, that's when the intensity starts. Gravity seems to want to push everything toward the stern, and Wayfarers are pressed hard against their seats with the inertia. After half an hour, the Hosts cheerily announce that everybody is free to get up and move around — but you might want to stay near a window, as they will be doing a low dive through the nearby planet's second moon's atmosphere, and it will be quite the sight.

Soon enough, the moon becomes visible. It is of unbroken crimson red, though subtle shifting in its surface lets you guess that it's water rather than earth. And then, as the Theorem rolls gently to the side, the view in the windows nearly perfectly split between moon and space, that's when you see them, swimming through the atmosphere.



To call them fish would be inaccurate — they are not in an ocean, or any body of water — and yet, that will be the word that springs to mind for most Wayfarers. Some of them are sleek and small, schooling in packs of shimmering white and ochre. Others are long and pointed, appendages pointed backward to exude a bright pink gas that propels them forward and which trails after them like oil slicks in the air. The locals call them x'enuda, the Hosts tell you, a combination of words that mean to fly and cunning prey.

They swim closer, swarming outside of the window. Some of them swim through, phasing through the shielding and windows alike, to dance gently in the interior of the Theorem, darting to and fro. If any Wayfarers find themselves curious enough to reach out and touch these creatures, they will find themselves similarly phased, capable of passing through matter for the next few minutes before the shared electrical field wears off and returns them to normal corporality. The external shield will catch you if you phase right through the ship's floor, but you may need to swim back up. Others may find themselves suddenly craving company, as if the x'enuda's instinct to remain safe in a school is catching.

FOREWORD


"All Wayfarers, please report to the docking bay!"

As you filter into the enormous cavern that makes up the docking bay of the Theorem, you see rows of smaller spacecraft. Some of them are sleek and light, like they'd be as free as a feather during aerial combat, while others are bulky and spacious. Many of them have designs in alien languages on them, or bizarre looking mascots, seemingly for good luck. As the occasional screen informs you, you are free to claim any one of the ships as your own, but first, Starling's Lament would very much like to give a presentation.

Past the rows of ships lays an expansive opening in the side of the Theorem, many stories high and wide, a shimmering forcefield the only thing between you and space. Beyond it, you can see the quickly fading shape of the planet and moons you left behind as the Theorem continues acceleration. It is in front of this that Starling's Lament has set up a large hologram of a star map.

As they start to explain once everyone is gathered, the map currently shows the region of space you are in. It is an enormous quadrant of multiple galaxies, some pinwheeled in shape, some circuler or tube-like. A line arcs across it, heading into what is clearly less-explored space, beyond the area colorfully marked as Alliance territory. Eventually, that line stops at a star, which then magnifies to reveal a six planet system, the second planet from the star circled.

This is your first objective: designation Epsilon-355.

There are many stories of which planets the Last Pilgrim has set foot upon, and yet, nobody has ever verified any of them. This, the Ascendants claim, is the closest match they have found for one of those planets in a scrap of story: a land of golden sand and shimmering glass, where pilgrimages track their way across the Golden Barrens desert. The planet is small and unassuming in the hologram, and the details next to it are scarce: relatively normal gravity, breathable atmosphere. More details will become available as the Theorem gets close enough for in-depth scans.

If there any notes of the Song to be found, they may yet be found in the Last Pilgrim's footprints.

Presentation nearly over, Starling's Lament directs you a series of tables that have neatly assembled packages of gear. Once you have picked your Division, you are welcome to claim the technological tools of its trade. You can also look at the spaceships available to claim, or even just watch out the docking bay door as you leave the planet behind and head deeper into space.

Welcome to the mission, Wayfarer.


sisterspider: (do you want me to lie?)

Sister Spider (Nia Worn) | The Amory Wars: Vaxis I

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-03 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
i. reflect

It reminded her of Ruetama. Not that Nia had seen her home planet--not in over a year. Maybe two. She'd been in a coma for part of that. There was nothing to remember, during that time. Though her eye moves up to the beetleform droid as it whispers at her, and she can't help but give a short chuckle at it.

"Won't be the first time I miss out on something because the timing is off. Don't sweat it."

Nia certainly won't.

Her eye was caught, then, by the nebula's brilliant colors spreading across space. Her brow furrows as she watches it, the way the colors move.

Nos.

It had been harrowing, escaping the Dark Sentencer. For a moment, she'd been certain that Cruger was going to kill Nostrand. But he hadn't--she'd activated his Gutter, first. He'd gotten what he'd deserved. Cruger had probably deserved worse, really.

The nebula shifts to reflect her own face back at her, eye narrowed and lips thinned. She and Nostrand had escaped the Dark Sentencer, but for what? And where was he, now?

Did it matter? He'd left her for dead once before. And while he'd come back...he'd disappeared. Again. It galled her, and she let out a brief, soft swear under her breath.


ii. initiate

When the Hosts start bustling with activity, indicating that the Theorem was launching soon? Nia wastes no time, doing as she's directed and strapping in--that, it seems, is something she's familiar enough with, so she gets left to it.

Though if someone needs a hand, the one-eyed woman doesn't seem to have a problem offering that aid.

The x'enuda are fascinating, but with everything she's seen, she's a bit too careful, perhaps; she watches them, lets them draw close to her, if they choose, but to Nia, they're still unfamiliar creatures. She does not try to touch them, nor does she let them touch her. It's too unpredictable. Nia can't trust it.


iii. foreword

Nia stepped into the cavern, and stopped dead in her tracks. There was a slight sense of wonder--the cavern itself was enormous, and the fact that it was full of spaceships made her heart lurch in a sense of excitement she hadn't felt in a while.

It also reminded her, uncomfortably, of the Pavilion and the Dark Sentencer. Her attention is distracted from the looming presentation for only a moment, though her eye flicks to the map--the galaxies were entirely unfamiliar. In part, that calmed her, because that meant the Dark Sentencer, that the Houses of the Star Supremacy, were unlikely to be able to find her.

And clearly, there were other decisions to be made, as well.

Nia wasn't certain about the ships--she'd have to look them over, see if they held any familiarity. That could come in time. But for now, she turned her attention to the packaged goods, and what they represented.

Security--set a thief to catch--what? She supposed that was the easy answer; she'd certainly kept her eye (no pun intended) on a number of inmates as the Glass Widow. But that seemed distasteful. She only had small skill in medical treatment. The potential there was for more harm than any good. Science and engineering, while interesting, were beyond her skill level.

Research and Archives--that was tempting, but there was something of a learning curve there, too. Which left her with Support.

Well, she mused, they couldn't all be big damn heroes. Someone had to wash the dishes and clean the toilets. With a shrug, she picked up that parcel and tucked it beneath her arm.
flavourtown: (011)

foreword

[personal profile] flavourtown 2025-11-03 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Jiaoqiu is having a time in the docking bay. The earpiece he has been given to help with his blindness, the one that surveys his surroundings and describes them for him, is completely overwhelmed by everything that's going on. It's giving him a constant murmur of: humanoid, red shirt, standing next to Void Runner ship-- Iron Horizon model-- snakeform Host approaching from the left-- humanoid, 180 centimeters tall, picking up a Support pack-- droidform Host clinging to the ceiling--

And about a couple dozen other things. There is so much activity here, so much to see, that it's getting overwhelming. Jiaoqiu's on the verge of leaving when he mentally rechecks what he heard, realizes someone else is picking up a Support pack, and engages. His own is slung over his shoulder, the red band marking its Division by color.

"In a world full of people picking the Security packs, I'm glad to see another Support," he greets, wearing a polite little smile underneath his blindfold. "Have you had a chance to look through the gear yet? I admit I have not; the noise in here is a little overwhelming."

And he doesn't even have his enhanced hearing!
sisterspider: (when we just avoid the truth)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-03 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Nia lets out a little huff of amusement at that greeting. "No, I haven't--but we can't all be Security, right? Someone's got to do the dirty work." Or, if it was not specifically dirty work, it was work that was less fun, in the end. The vulpine features and pink hair don't faze her--not when her own hair is a bright greenish turquoise--but the blindfold makes her pause.

"Want me to go through it now? Maybe we could find someplace a little more out of the way. This way I can describe it and you can feel it out."

Nia had only had to deal with her own monocular vision--that was a pain in the ass in its own way; until she'd adapted, she often bumped into things or tripped and was insufferably clumsy in her own estimation--being forced to rely on other people or devices to describe things must be a study in frustration.
flavourtown: (015)

sorry about the html wonkiness alksjdklas

[personal profile] flavourtown 2025-11-04 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
"I would be in your debt, honestly."

Moving through the space is-- complicated, to say the least. Jiaoqiu is starting to think that perhaps he should have consented to being given a white cane. It would be more elegant than relying on this earpiece and having to start and stop every time it says hold! a person passing! hold! a starship is too close!.

Still, he manages to lead them (haltingly) to somewhere that sounds less noisy. Left wall of the docking bay approaching, he is informed, and so they must be off to the side of the action, next to a line of Void Runner models. Jiaoqiu wishes he knew anything about their design, but the earpiece isn't detailed enough for that.

They stop, and he takes his own pack off, and pulls out the first thing his hand encounters. He's almost certain he knows what it is immediately just by the feel and noise of things shifting inside -- a hard case, with many items inside -- but he still pulls it open to verify, poking through its contents.

"Ah, a medical field kit," he hums. "Useful, if we're to be exploring unknown lands."
sisterspider: (baby are you ok to lie with me?)

no worries! :) I was too excited to let you fix it, I'm sorry!

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-04 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
While the line of starships are rather interesting--Nia had picked up a bit of knowledge in her time as the Glass Widow, but Nos--no, not thinking about him had been the one in pilot school...best to let that go.

"Useful, yes. But I wonder what else we'd need. Does it have an antivenom--wait, you can't tell me. Let me look."

She does rifle through the case a bit, and--"Answer looks like no, but I suppose we can talk to a Host and they can take that under advisement. I haven't been to a place I needed something like that, but my dad used to scare me with bedtime stories of giant alien millipedes..."

She let that trail off, going to dig around in the pack again and coming out with--a sewing kit. "Looks like I have a sewing kit too. Which--hey, this might not be standard issue, but it's useful to me. I was in theater, worked as a costume designer. So unless there's a set uniform we all get stuck with, or a machine that just materializes clothing, hey, this will get me somewhere, right?"

Nia huffed out another laugh, but it wasn't entirely humorless. The kit was almost a memory of a happier time. Even if it was bittersweet.

"Looks like there's a multi-tool in here, too. Any interesting, unfamiliar goodies in yours? I'll manhandle it if your earpiece doesn't do a good enough job."

She was unwilling to interfere with his personal space unless it was absolutely necessary. Another moment's pause, and she shakes her head.

"Name's Nia. Guess I forgot about that in the excitement of getting situated."
flavourtown: (005)

[personal profile] flavourtown 2025-11-05 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"Considering we're set to explore uncharted worlds, antivenom will be something that Medical will need to devise themselves," Jiaoqiu hums. "They cannot stock the medical kit with any old antivenom from whatever creatures they know: it has to be made specific to each animal, or each closely related family group. Likely we'll be seeing creatures with venoms completely unknown to us."

He cannot find a sewing kit in his own pack, which is just as well. He knows the basics, but blind, he would be more likely to put the needle through his thumb, or sew a button to the shirt's collar.

Instead, he finds the multitool and carefully explores it, flicking out each extension.

"I am Jiaoqiu, of the Xianzhou Alliance-- though I suppose that name means little here." He smiles, self-depricating. "Navigating the social mores of those from different universes certainly is going to be interesting."

Then, he finds what can only be a portable stove. He tugs it out of the pack to admire it. It's little more than a flat surface and an optional raised grill, the base designed to heat whatever cooking device is placed on it.

"I'll have to requisition a cauldron, I think."
sisterspider: (Default)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-07 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh. He had a point. Nia hadn't considered that, but when she does, it does make a whole lot of sense.

"As scary as that is--shit, you're right and I know you are. I didn't think of that, but I wasn't in biology or biochem or anything like that." She's a bit embarrassed, though, because she really feels like she should have thought of that.

Maybe she never should have taken her mask off. But he can't see her, anyway...

"I've never heard of it, no. But still, it's nice to meet you." Rough around the edges she may be, but Nia can play with social niceties, too.

"A cauldron?" She pauses, then. "You cook?"
flavourtown: (014)

[personal profile] flavourtown 2025-11-07 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"I do. Hopefully, that will be what I can contribute to this mission."

It's not surprise that Nia hasn't heard of the Xianzhou Alliance-- of everybody that he has met aboard this ship, only two people have been from his universe, and neither were from anywhere close to home.

"I have to admit," he smiles, self-deprecating, "that despite being taken hostage onto a ship I had no intention of being on, I'm somewhat excited to be able to travel to uncharted planets and discover new ingredients, new tastes. The potential for discovery is enormous."

Were he still a healer, he could have even researched new medicines. Perhaps... he can still try. Research would be harmless, right? And it wouldn't involve having to go near sharp implements, against doctor's orders as he recovers? At the very least, he can suggest ideas to Medical or Science & Engineering, if he has confidence in any of them.
sisterspider: (when we just avoid the truth)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-11 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
"If you ever need a hand--I'm no chef, myself, but I've done subsistence stuff. I can chop and prep, and leave the important stuff to you, at the very least." Likely, he's not supposed to be using sharp implements, anyway...

She huffs out a laugh at his next words.

"If we're hostages, those kidnappers seem to have given us a lot of leeway, so far. At least, that I can tell. No shackles, free rein to wander around. I mean, I doubt the smaller craft here could make it too far from this ship, but there's at least an illusion of the possibility of escape..."

A damn sight better than where she had been, and Nia had only escaped with help. Help that was no longer here. Oh, sure, there were a number of potential allies, but trust was also at a premium, for her.
flavourtown: (009)

[personal profile] flavourtown 2025-11-11 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"I may have to take you up on that offer, actually. An experienced sous chef is a marvelous thing."

That, and Jiaoqiu has been given strict doctor's orders to stay away from sharp implements, lest he accidentally cut himself and bleed too much due to deficiencies in blood coagulation. Not that he has obeyed these orders, of course -- how can he possibly cook without touching a knife? -- but on occasion, if his pain is bad, it'll be useful to know he has someone willing to help.

Nia's idea about simply taking a ship and flying away is... interesting, actually. It hadn't occured to Jiaoqiu before.

"No doubt the basic ships aren't capable of deep space travel, but one wonders what would happen if one just took one and flew to that trading post below us right now." He stows the gear back in his pack, feeling around for the latches and clasps to close it, thoughtful. "It's very easy to disappear in places like those. Lots of people passing through, ships going to dozens of different locations."
victus: (pic#18142989)

initiate

[personal profile] victus 2025-11-04 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ It doesn't escape his notice when someone seems to be offering aid — not because he needs it, specifically, but because it's a kindness he isn't used to seeing, particularly during a time of such upheaval and chaos. Viktor tucks that observation away in the back of his head, quietly making a point to sit nearest to this person out of pure curiosity. The fact that they don't react too much to the x'enuda says something, too. ]

Do you travel? [ His tone is warm and conversational, not probing, exactly, merely curious. Viktor glances at them before nodding to the creatures. ] You did not seem surprised by their appearance. [ It's certainly possible they've already encountered them, of course. Viktor is beginning to realize most Wayfarers were from advanced societies. He's still getting used to being so behind, a fact that both frustrates and inspires him. ]
sisterspider: (do you want me to lie?)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-04 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
On-planet more than off. Usually. [Nia's gaze, such as it is, is still locked on the x'enuda. Normally, she'd be fine with being solitary, but it's almost comforting to have another's presence close by. She cannot place his accent, which is odd--until she thinks that it's likely they might not even be from the same universe.

It should be frightening. It's not.]


There are plenty of oddities in the world, whether you've seen them before or not. Though I have to admit, this is the first time I've seen a critter phase through a spaceship. At least they don't seem to be causing an issue. I'm not versed enough in craft maintenance--especially not a craft of this size--to be sure I could help, if they were!
victus: (pic#18140243)

[personal profile] victus 2025-11-05 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ Another person from a far-flung future, then. Viktor might be envious if he wasn't so intensely curious. He has a thousand questions and an ever-intensifying desire for some means by which he can record everything he's learning. Later, he thinks, resolving to make that a priority once his overactive curiosity has been sated at least a little more.

Peering at his companion, Viktor studies them as they speak. ]
So you are an engineer? [ It's a guess based on their concern over the ship and the reference to maintenance. But truthfully, underneath that, Viktor is not-so-subtly seeking out a like mind. ]
sisterspider: (longing for the days of my teens)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-05 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, no. No. "Enthusiastic dabbler", more like. Figure I know just about enough to get myself in trouble, but I take direction well.

[Nia shrugs, then. It's only the truth--there were others who'd had more knowledge, but even she needed to know a thing or two about maintenance on the Dark Sentencer. It wasn't as if the Five Houses had been rapid when she'd asked for things to make life--hers or others'--easier, there.]

Still, it's not for lack of desire, just lack of opportunity. My father passed away before I could get very far in school, and then...things went further south, I guess you could say. Still. Place this big, there's got to be a library of some sort, wouldn't you say?
victus: (pic#17754357)

[personal profile] victus 2025-11-05 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Viktor's heart instantly went out to this person, and he frowns, not in pity but understanding and commiseration. He's suddenly, acutely reminded of where he came from — and the feeling of loss he had to claw himself out of inch by agonizing inch. ]

We have much in common, though I wish that were untrue. [ There's a gentleness in his tone, a bit of wistfulness, too, until he refocuses, an idea beginning to form in his mind. ] There is more than a library. Myself and my partner intend to continue our work here, as scientists, and we could use an assistant. Once we establish a lab, that is. [ Viktor smiles a bit, fleeting. They were always getting ahead of themselves. ]

Think it over?
sisterspider: (when we just avoid the truth)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-06 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
What's there to think about? Yes? Hell yes?

[Nia hadn't ever really been the type to ignore an opportunity when it presented itself to her. This sounded almost too good to be true--but this guy was giving her an option to say no, if she wanted.

A damn sight better than HOSS, already. Nothing to be afraid of.]


There's probably places to establish stuff like that here, too. Though I haven't looked. Haven't had much of a chance to look, yet. I will look, though. Especially now.

[Curiosity alone wasn't enough, but she had that in spades, too.]
victus: (pic#18142982)

[personal profile] victus 2025-11-08 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ Beaming, Viktor is utterly delighted by this turn of events. ] You won't regret this, [ is as much a promise to her as it is to himself. He won't allow what happened to Sky happen to anyone else. They could safeguard their work. Invite others in. Create parameters. ]

Between the three of us, I'm confident we'll find something. Perhaps with a lack of certain incorporeal visitors, [ he says, eyeing the x'enuda again with a tug at the corner of his mouth. He's teasing a little.

Gaze returning to his new companion turned assistant, Viktor extends his hand. ]
I'm Viktor.
sisterspider: (jealousy here in the back seat)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-10 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Nia Worn. And I'm sure we can, too. I just need to know where to look.

[Reading and studying things were never a problem for her. She liked books. Reading patterns for clothing? Making her own? That took its own special talent, which she had. Even with her vision issues. It had just made her meticulous and willing to check her work.]

You know, they might just be an unusual integer that we've got to account for. Not to mention what else might happen out here. Unexplored space, at least for me. I've never seen anything like this on a map.

[Of course, this was far from her neck of the proverbial spatial woods, as it were. Still, she takes Viktor's hand in her gloved one all the same, shaking to seal the deal.]

Nice to meet you. And I really mean that. [Startling her, most of all.]
victus: (pic#18140311)

[personal profile] victus 2025-11-11 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The more Nia speaks, the more Viktor can't help but be reminded of himself. It's like a punch to the chest, all the air leaving him in a rush, and he's at once charmed and regretful. Perhaps here, guiding her, he might steer her away from the path he'd begun to take. What is a legacy if not supporting the youth?

Feeling invigorated, Viktor smiles. ]


You make a compelling point. What else have you observed? This is not a test — [ and he chuckles a bit at himself, realizing it probably sounds like he's testing her. ] Merely curiosity. You come from a world more advanced than mine. I imagine you've noted things I missed.

[ And while he doesn't respond to her last sentiment, it clearly warms his expression. ]
sisterspider: (when we just avoid the truth)

[personal profile] sisterspider 2025-11-11 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[He says this isn't a test, but Nia collects her thoughts briefly, then speaks without preamble.]

There are smaller ships, but I'm not sure how long they'd last far away from this one. I imagine they're more to make planetfall than anything else. [She ticks this off on one finger, then continues.]

The Hosts seem pleased to have us, and are helpful, but I have to wonder how that'd hold up if some of us got...unruly, if you know what I mean. Not that I want to.

[Though there's definitely a "Yet" there, unspoken. Ticking off a second and third finger.]

I left the Dark Sentencer with a weapon, but I sure don't have it now. I don't know if they confiscated it and I'll get it back for these missions they want us on, or if it's lost, but I don't like not having one on me.

[She barks a short laugh, then.] And finally, okay. I at least learned to read star charts back on Ruetama, before the path that seems to have gotten me here even started. As I mentioned, I've never even seen any of these stars before, and I thought I at least had a lock on Heaven's Fence--or what was left of it after the Great Crash. I feel like I should recognize something, but I don't. Not a thing. That worries me a little.
victus: (pic#18140531)

[personal profile] victus 2025-11-16 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ While he's very charmed by her willingness to humor his interest, Viktor schools his expression and listens to Nia's account, which is not only satisfying his curiosity, but also providing much-needed context for the nature of these space-faring ships. Her estimation of their hosts is an interesting one as well — and one that Viktor considers carefully. ] Mutiny, you mean, [ he offers with a small head tilt. ] To attempt such a thing on this scale would be ambitious. [ But not impossible.

At the mention of a weapon, Viktor's eyebrow briefly raises. ]
You expect hostility? Yes, I suppose that is possible. But there are security measures, or so I imagine. [ Not that he has any interest in joining that particular team. Keep weapons away from him, please.

Her laugh causes a smirk to tug at the corner of his mouth. That dizzying feeling of being lost in so vast a multiverse can be quite the thing to overcome. ]
You will find your bearings here, and you will memorize a new star chart. You need only give yourself time. [ Patience, young padawan. They've got your back. ]