THE AURORA was once a sight to see. An impressive mining ship, home to many, it could travel across great interstellar distances while providing all the comforts necessary to those within. Its star-sailing days are over now, as it now is a terrible wreckage, with salvage and dangers for those who come near.
It’s also exactly where the new crew members just showed up. URSULA will be immediately sending the on-base crew towards the Aurora, while those who have just arrived have some time to explore. The Aurora, however, isn’t the safest place to be. There are some large creatures in the water, and they may not be friendly towards the crew…
Below is a timeline of events as they unfold, with some further information!
1000: THE AURORA
While the new crew may have arrived anywhere throughout the ship, many will have found themselves in the common rooms, surrounded by the comforts of those who once lived here. Those who choose to wander further may find many rooms throughout, often in varying states of decay. While there are smaller predators on the Aurora and the danger of a wrecked vessel, an unsettling peace pervades the crashed ship. For now, they are safe.
1030: THE BASE
At 10:30 in the morning, URSULA reaches out to all crew members with an urgent message:
”All crew members please report in immediately! Life signs detected on the Aurora! Please stop all other activities and begin rescue mission. Gather any supplies you need, use the vehicles and help any survivors you find. Devices are near the entrance to track life signals once you're on the Aurora. If they're safe, please remember we need to salvage what we can from the Aurora as well. The supplies will benefit any survivors as well.”
Get cracking, crew! Base and Biome have information on what kind of weapons and defenses your fellow crew have had.
1100: THE AURORA
Thanks to the transportation they had built, the base’s crew is able to arrive in record time. They can help seek out their new crew members, take the opportunity to explore more of the Aurora, or just sulk in the transporter. URSULA reminds everyone that salvaging is a key part of their mission, and they should gather what they can before returning to base.
1200: THE AURORA
The crew however only gets an hour to enjoy itself (?) in the wreckage. At noon, URSULA broadcasts to all present, new and old:
”Attention! Dire warning! Reaper Leviathans! According to what I've salvaged of my database, they're apex predators from the westernmost region of the ocean. One signal coming from the west, two others coming out of the Void from deep below the ship!”
The crew may try to evacuate, but it is probably better to prepare for battle or hiding instead. They won’t get enough time to get out of the way before…
1210: THE AURORA
The Reapers are here. Peering out one of the Aurora's entrances will reveal that they are already circling around the vessel, as if they realize something is inside. One even beaches, its entire, 160 foot body soaring through the air before slamming down into the water. It almost feels like a warning. A threat.
URSULA urges the crew to stay inside where it is safe, but if anyone does insist on charging forward, she advises them to split into teams and take on as many Reapers at once as possible to avoid any group being teamed-up on by multiple Leviathans.
NOTE: To fight a Reaper Leviathan, comment under the REAPER FIGHT THREAD comment below! We ask that you work in teams of two or three for the battle to keep threads organized and minimize the number of fight threads the mods will need to work through. Be mindful that these are extremely fierce, dangerous, fast, giant apex predators, and they are very likely to do damage against those who fight them! By tagging in, you are agreeing to put your characters at risk of injury from the Reapers. As URSULA advised, those who don't want to get hurt should hold back and wait.
1300: EVACUATION
Things are looking grim. While the crew's teams make a good fight of it, these Reapers are durable, and they just keep coming back for more. It seems they're on a mission, to stop the crew, no matter how battered they become.
That's when the bellowing starts. Coming from everywhere, a song like that of the cavalry that disorients the Reapers as a large pod of Reefbacks swim in. Several put themselves between the ship and the Reapers, allowing anyone on aboard to safely get into the transports and into the water.
Others begin to fight. The use the concentrated power of their songs to knock back attacks from the front, powerfully lashing their tentacles like whips to crack against the Reapers. In battle they're surprisingly agile, able to spin around in a moment's notice to alternate between confusing and attacking the Reapers.
But any crew members watching can see the toll it takes on the Reefbacks. One Reefback in particular chooses to guide the crew back to the base by swimming along aside them. Thick, dark blood trails in the water behind it but it beats off any curious smaller predators like Stalkers. But its shell is cracked, its 'face' smashed in, and it gets no further than the Kelp Forest before it settles into a dense patch of creepvines for a final rest. It sends out a final cry that somehow feels like a wish for the crew to keep going on to the base, away from the continuing battle.
The rest of the pod manages to drive the Reapers back, though they too have their casualties. Still, the Aurora and the crew are safe for now.
Perhaps that was their only wish.
Direct any questions and plotting to the OOC post and have fun!
[there's no doubt that tytree should definitely be seeking out something more useful or important. but that's pretty tough to do when he's not even sure whether or not what he's found is useful or important. (hint: it's not.)]
...I wonder what this stuff's even for. [in one hand are two beat-up NES carts, in the other is an equally beat-up controller, all of which had been sitting atop a risk game box. he can figure out that risk is a game, but he's never seen a video game in his life, so he's absolutely and completely clueless as to what he's dealing with here.] I mean, it looks like it's kind of important but...
[the hand with the controller raises up, and he's tapping the corner of it thoughtfully against his chin.] I don't even know what a "Tetris" is. Kinda sounds like a Virus or somethin'...
[he'll be meandering for a while (and talking to himself, apparently), prodding through games and toys, cabinets and pantries just trying to see what he can find and if it'll somehow be useful.]
1100: there is no personal space, only friendship;
[tytree isn't exactly the type to sweat the small stuff. so even as he's exploring. there's not much he can use in the med labs, and he's not all that interested in raiding bedrooms, especially not ones with decaying bodies. it just feels kind of wrong to him, and he's not afraid to say as much if it comes up. so he's mostly been seeking out more neutral areas.
until he finds storage. and storage is useful, so once he realizes that, tytree is going to come barreling out of the room to look for someone to explore it with. he may crash into a passer-by just from how fast he's moving (sorry!). if he happens to evade that, the passer-by is going to suddenly find an arm slung over their shoulder in a very casual, very friendly way.]
Come on, you gotta take a look at what I just found! It's like, way awesome! [hello new friend, tytree is here to invade your personal space. you are friends now, and he's going to share the wealth.] Four, maybe even five stars, that's how good it is!
You'll be like "Oh man, Tytree, I'm so glad I ran into you, because this has made my life better!" Ohohoho! [okay, he's exaggerating, for sure.]
1300: but really, why this...;
[this definitely isn't the way tytree wanted things to go at all. the reefbacks came to their rescue and did one hell of a job—but seeing the trails of blood from the particular one aiding them, hearing its cry and knowing exactly what that means for such a situation.
it's bad, and it feels terrible—things shouldn't have gone that way, and anything giving their life that way, especially to save them? it has an impact.]
....Dammit! [he clenches his fist and his jaw tightens. it really makes him want to go back and punch those reapers clear out of the ocean, but he knows there's nothing he can do. and feeling helpless is just about the worst.]
He slings his arm over her shoulder and she freezes up, because most of the time when people are all touchy-feely or grabby she ends up in cages and/or being kissed and it's really not kosher in any way.
So she doesn't entirely hear all of what he's saying, eyes wide, and it only really sinks in towards the end.]
[It's probably not anything like that at all, and she's too shrinking violet to shove him off, so instead she's just stuck there, frozen stiff as he continues to be Too Much.]
B-but... but I-- um...!
[Will she ever get a proper word out? Stay tuned!]
[Fukami's reaction is less shock than it is mild disbelief because what is this person slinging their arm around him in such a friendly way after almost running into him..
Tytree might find himself tangled up in tentacles if he's not careful too, since one's moving to snag around his arm, tugging as though to urge him to let go... And then there're seven more around Fukami's legs. As though he's accustomed to getting them out of the way, they're curling closer to his own legs.
Hey... sup...]
...What you found? [It's belated but is that encouragement? It might be encouragement to go on??]
[it's fine... tentacles are fine. tytree's not fazed by them in that they exist. he may be a little more put out by the way that fukami seems to want him to back off from his friendly gesture...
but whatever, it's fine. "put out" is a pretty loose term when he's still all smiles. he's pretty stoked about his finds. he'll take fukami's interest(?) as just that and continue on.]
Yeah! There's a lot of useless stuff around here, but I came across a real winner!
[If it's something good, that's good... They need all of the supplies they can get. So far, Fukami's been impressed enough by several of the things laying around here on the Aurora.]
[Ahhhhh? AHHHHHH? NOT AS EXPECTED? He's tiny and off-balance and easily dragged along by Tytree's enthusiasm, wide-eyed; for a surreal moment he flashes back to Sorey dragging him excitedly through ruins, before remembering that Sorey's in a different part of the ship. He's surprised enough to sound a little snappy.]
Okay? You don't need to manhandle me towards it, you know!
[Merrill has been enjoying all the games and considering how many to take with her. Look she loots corpses this is no thing. She sees him rummaging and finds herself exited because she can help! Kinda.]
Oh! That! I tried that. You push the buttons on that pad and it makes something happen on this... [She waves at a tv screen, trying to think of the best word.] ...glass plate! [Nailed it.]
There was one with a very tiny man and sometimes if I hit a button, he jumped on these... grumpy mushroom men.
[well, that sounds interesting. if not very confusing, and he hasn't the faintest clue that's actually a game.]
So the buttons have to do with this piece of glass... [tytree is about to get up close and personal with the tv set, so he's practically nose-to-glass—probably not one of his brightest moves, but he's not thinking about the potential for this thing somehow hurting him.]
But wait—You said there was a tiny man? [what, merrill.] How'd he get in that thing? Does he need help or somethin'?
[there are so many mysteries here and some are definitely more alarming than others. do they need to help the man in the glass plate?]
[ Ellana turns to look back his way, her own expression drawn. There's a lot that has not gone well today, and more to consider. The Reefbacks, their response, and the fallout being a large part of it that she'll be thinking on more once everyone's out of the situation they're presently mired in.
Hence wondering if something else is going on; tensing up, wondering what else she needs to prepare to handle. ]
[at least it's really not that much else to prepare taking in. this whole situation is a frustrating one—this is all new to tytree as it is, and while he's the sort to give a situation the benefit of the doubt...
well, being witness to this right from the start is miles beyond frustrating for tytree. he grimaces a bit, nodding towards the trail of blood in the water.]
That. It shouldn't—there's no way this is how this should've gone! [the reefbacks protected them, and now he's just frustrated about what's happening.]
Arrrgh! I just wanna go back and give those things what's comin' to them! [calm down, tytree.]
[ Cardia fortunately avoids the fate of getting pulled into friendly touching, but only because-- yes, he crashed into her again, and down she goes with a startled cry. Flat on her rear, even.
[if it helps any (it probably doesn't), crashing into cardia startles him too, seeing as he wasn't expecting someone to be right on the other side of the door when he barreled through it.]
Sorry! I didn't see ya there. [of course you didn't, tytree, because you barreled out of the room like a rocket. at the very least, he's holding out a hand to help her up and looking incredibly apologetic in the wake of this.] You okay?
[ Mao is unfortunately unable to avoid his much larger big bro crashing into him in his fit of excitement. The last thing he was expecting was Tytree running into him all of a sudden as he's passing the entrance to the storage area. He wasn't expecting anyone to do that, actually.
And considering their difference in size, well ... it's only natural that Mao be knocked back onto the ground. ]
Hey! Watch where you're —
[ It takes him a moment to really notice it's Tytree, though. But when he does, at least there's some relief in his voice. ] Tytree?! [ ... And then — ] What'd you run into me for?!
[ Ah. It was a toss-up between letting him know he's glad to see him, and being annoyed that he actually just ran into him like that. The annoyed half of him wins. ]
except that the second he realizes it's mao and not some poor, helpless stranger, he's not looking so apologetic. tytree's glad to see him, of course... but the stakes are totally different when it's mao.]
Aw, c'mon Mao. You can take a couple of hits. It ain't gonna kill ya! [which comes out with a pretty brief, but hearty laugh.
it's fine.
it's not as if he'll really just let mao stay like that anyway, so he offers a hand so mao can pull himself to his feet.]
[Despite their situation, Kay manages to chuckle at Tytree's comment about Tetris and how he looks so...so enthralled at seeing old game consoles and controllers. What rock did he live under for so long?]
No, it's not! It's a game. You're telling me you never played Tetris before? [She sounds very surprised.]
[the kind of rock that doesn't have this kind of technology, kay!]
It's a game? [he sets the other things down, but continues to hold the tetris cartridge, pulling it close to his face to examine it, then pulling it away again.]
Hmmm... [he's thinking very hard about it, though he's not coming up with any solutions.] Nope, never heard of it. What kind of game is it? It just looks like a little gray box...
Peridot is small, so when there's suddenly a human all up in her personal space trying to usher her around she starts objecting. Just a little. She flails an arm at Tytree with a yelp of irritation. ]
What are you talking about?
[ She tries to wriggle out of the far too friendly (for her tastes) embrace. ]
I don't even know who you are! And I doubt whatever it is you want to show me is "cool". It's probably just deadly!
[if nothing else, tytree can take enough of a hint that her protests to his invasion of her personal space will be enough to get him to back off a bit.
just a bit though, since he's still standing pretty close to her.]
You're looking for stuff around here too, aren't ya? [everyone he's run into up until this point has been, after all. ] It's not deadly! I mean, y'know, as long as it doesn't get into the wrong hands or anything like that.
[He manages to sidestep the barreling with a start, sword at the ready in case it was yet another Cave Crawler attacking. But then he's got an arm around him and it's apparent that this is very chatty and very human, so he puts the sword down. The excitement is infectious and despite the terrible sales pitch, Sorey buys it hook, line, and sinker.]
[While Yarne is also equally concerned about the reefbacks, standing only a few feet away from Tytree, he isn't expecting anyone to make such a loud sound. He's just watching the blood trails, feeling that sick feeling he feels when soldiers would sacrifice themselves for him in his lost future. It's never something he wants. He, too, thinks feeling helpless is the worst.
Or second worst, because he's pretty convinced Tytree's "dammit" was directed at him. He has sensitive rabbit ears, and he's the closest guy around, so it makes sense! Maybe.]
Tytree Crowe
...I wonder what this stuff's even for. [in one hand are two beat-up NES carts, in the other is an equally beat-up controller, all of which had been sitting atop a risk game box. he can figure out that risk is a game, but he's never seen a video game in his life, so he's absolutely and completely clueless as to what he's dealing with here.] I mean, it looks like it's kind of important but...
[the hand with the controller raises up, and he's tapping the corner of it thoughtfully against his chin.] I don't even know what a "Tetris" is. Kinda sounds like a Virus or somethin'...
[he'll be meandering for a while (and talking to himself, apparently), prodding through games and toys, cabinets and pantries just trying to see what he can find and if it'll somehow be useful.]
1100: there is no personal space, only friendship;
until he finds storage. and storage is useful, so once he realizes that, tytree is going to come barreling out of the room to look for someone to explore it with. he may crash into a passer-by just from how fast he's moving (sorry!). if he happens to evade that, the passer-by is going to suddenly find an arm slung over their shoulder in a very casual, very friendly way.]
Come on, you gotta take a look at what I just found! It's like, way awesome! [hello new friend, tytree is here to invade your personal space. you are friends now, and he's going to share the wealth.] Four, maybe even five stars, that's how good it is!
You'll be like "Oh man, Tytree, I'm so glad I ran into you, because this has made my life better!" Ohohoho! [okay, he's exaggerating, for sure.]
1300: but really, why this...;
it's bad, and it feels terrible—things shouldn't have gone that way, and anything giving their life that way, especially to save them? it has an impact.]
....Dammit! [he clenches his fist and his jaw tightens. it really makes him want to go back and punch those reapers clear out of the ocean, but he knows there's nothing he can do. and feeling helpless is just about the worst.]
1100
He slings his arm over her shoulder and she freezes up, because most of the time when people are all touchy-feely or grabby she ends up in cages and/or being kissed and it's really not kosher in any way.
So she doesn't entirely hear all of what he's saying, eyes wide, and it only really sinks in towards the end.]
E...eh?
[Please help her.
And/or get off of her.]
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C'mere! That's what I'm sayin'. You don't wanna miss all of this! [let him improve your life, mai.
or something like that.
(it's probably not anything like that at all.)]
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B-but... but I-- um...!
[Will she ever get a proper word out? Stay tuned!]
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1100
[Fukami's reaction is less shock than it is mild disbelief because what is this person slinging their arm around him in such a friendly way after almost running into him..
Tytree might find himself tangled up in tentacles if he's not careful too, since one's moving to snag around his arm, tugging as though to urge him to let go... And then there're seven more around Fukami's legs. As though he's accustomed to getting them out of the way, they're curling closer to his own legs.
Hey... sup...]
...What you found? [It's belated but is that encouragement? It might be encouragement to go on??]
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but whatever, it's fine. "put out" is a pretty loose term when he's still all smiles. he's pretty stoked about his finds. he'll take fukami's interest(?) as just that and continue on.]
Yeah! There's a lot of useless stuff around here, but I came across a real winner!
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That being?
[If it's something good, that's good... They need all of the supplies they can get. So far, Fukami's been impressed enough by several of the things laying around here on the Aurora.]
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1100
Okay? You don't need to manhandle me towards it, you know!
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[mikleo, what are these accusations, even! tytree jumps back instinctively, looking equal parts appalled and defensive.]
Don't you think that's a little extreme? I wasn't— [this is so distressing.] Come on!
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1000
Oh! That! I tried that. You push the buttons on that pad and it makes something happen on this... [She waves at a tv screen, trying to think of the best word.] ...glass plate! [Nailed it.]
There was one with a very tiny man and sometimes if I hit a button, he jumped on these... grumpy mushroom men.
[How do you explain Mario.]
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So the buttons have to do with this piece of glass... [tytree is about to get up close and personal with the tv set, so he's practically nose-to-glass—probably not one of his brightest moves, but he's not thinking about the potential for this thing somehow hurting him.]
But wait—You said there was a tiny man? [what, merrill.] How'd he get in that thing? Does he need help or somethin'?
[there are so many mysteries here and some are definitely more alarming than others. do they need to help the man in the glass plate?]
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1300
[ Ellana turns to look back his way, her own expression drawn. There's a lot that has not gone well today, and more to consider. The Reefbacks, their response, and the fallout being a large part of it that she'll be thinking on more once everyone's out of the situation they're presently mired in.
Hence wondering if something else is going on; tensing up, wondering what else she needs to prepare to handle. ]
What is it?
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well, being witness to this right from the start is miles beyond frustrating for tytree. he grimaces a bit, nodding towards the trail of blood in the water.]
That. It shouldn't—there's no way this is how this should've gone! [the reefbacks protected them, and now he's just frustrated about what's happening.]
Arrrgh! I just wanna go back and give those things what's comin' to them! [calm down, tytree.]
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1100
What even just happened? ]
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[if it helps any (it probably doesn't), crashing into cardia startles him too, seeing as he wasn't expecting someone to be right on the other side of the door when he barreled through it.]
Sorry! I didn't see ya there. [of course you didn't, tytree, because you barreled out of the room like a rocket. at the very least, he's holding out a hand to help her up and looking incredibly apologetic in the wake of this.] You okay?
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1100
And considering their difference in size, well ... it's only natural that Mao be knocked back onto the ground. ]
Hey! Watch where you're —
[ It takes him a moment to really notice it's Tytree, though. But when he does, at least there's some relief in his voice. ] Tytree?! [ ... And then — ] What'd you run into me for?!
[ Ah. It was a toss-up between letting him know he's glad to see him, and being annoyed that he actually just ran into him like that. The annoyed half of him wins. ]
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except that the second he realizes it's mao and not some poor, helpless stranger, he's not looking so apologetic. tytree's glad to see him, of course... but the stakes are totally different when it's mao.]
Aw, c'mon Mao. You can take a couple of hits. It ain't gonna kill ya! [which comes out with a pretty brief, but hearty laugh.
it's fine.
it's not as if he'll really just let mao stay like that anyway, so he offers a hand so mao can pull himself to his feet.]
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1000
No, it's not! It's a game. You're telling me you never played Tetris before? [She sounds very surprised.]
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It's a game? [he sets the other things down, but continues to hold the tetris cartridge, pulling it close to his face to examine it, then pulling it away again.]
Hmmm... [he's thinking very hard about it, though he's not coming up with any solutions.] Nope, never heard of it. What kind of game is it? It just looks like a little gray box...
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1100
Peridot is small, so when there's suddenly a human all up in her personal space trying to usher her around she starts objecting. Just a little. She flails an arm at Tytree with a yelp of irritation. ]
What are you talking about?
[ She tries to wriggle out of the far too friendly (for her tastes) embrace. ]
I don't even know who you are! And I doubt whatever it is you want to show me is "cool". It's probably just deadly!
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just a bit though, since he's still standing pretty close to her.]
You're looking for stuff around here too, aren't ya? [everyone he's run into up until this point has been, after all. ] It's not deadly! I mean, y'know, as long as it doesn't get into the wrong hands or anything like that.
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1100
Really?! What is it?
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especially when he really is buying that line pretty well. which just means, of course, that he's going to get sorey even more hype.]
So you go in this room, right? But it's not like and other room in this thing! It's good all kinds of stuff.
[...what kind of stuff, tytree? he's not telling yet.]
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1300
[While Yarne is also equally concerned about the reefbacks, standing only a few feet away from Tytree, he isn't expecting anyone to make such a loud sound. He's just watching the blood trails, feeling that sick feeling he feels when soldiers would sacrifice themselves for him in his lost future. It's never something he wants. He, too, thinks feeling helpless is the worst.
Or second worst, because he's pretty convinced Tytree's "dammit" was directed at him. He has sensitive rabbit ears, and he's the closest guy around, so it makes sense! Maybe.]
What did you do that for?!
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Huh...? What'd I do?! [and why does he feel like he's being reprimanded for something here?]
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