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seasonsgreetings2025-04-18 03:32 pm
seasonshelpers) wrote in seasonsgreetings2025-04-18 03:32 pm
Entry tags:
Test Drive Meme #14
Test Drive Meme #14
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION
You arrive in an unknown space, dressed in white clothes (player choice what kind of clothes, as long as they cover everything). Whatever was happening to you before no longer happens. It's like everything was put on a pause and you were transferred away from the situation without you realizing it happened.
The space that you find yourself in is one of these four options:
An empty landscape filled with snow and ice, almost like a blank canvas.
A field with cherry blossom trees and spring flowers.
A sunny beach near an ocean that seems never ending.
A quiet forest with falling autumn leaves.
All of the spaces seem to continue endlessly. No matter where or how far you walk it almost seems like you're not moving at all. There are no animals here - just those who happened to wake up there at the same time, in the same place. Everyone is wearing the same kind of plain, white clothes.
Despite the possible rollercoaster of emotions you might be feeling, the place somehow feels familiar. Like somehow you belong there.
And it looks like you're not alone.
After half an hour has passed the surroundings change as everyone is teleported into a room with all the other new arrivals, no matter what space they woke up in. It's a large place with plenty of seats to sit in and beverages to enjoy. Medical attention is offered to those who need it and the doctors here are very prepared for any challenging situations.
Here, in this room, everyone gets an answer to where they are and why. A hologram of a man appears at the center of the room, waiting to be heard. He brings a message on behalf of the leaders of Ellipsa. The staff nearby tells them that the message has finally been properly updated from the original one that can still be found from the records.
The Message [ Click to Expand ]
Hello, my name is Olwen. I'm one of the leaders of Ellipsa as it currently is. I'm also one of the four who summoned you here.
Our world is in trouble and we need your help. I apologize for tearing you away from your world and forcing you to come here but I hope you understand. The magic we used doesn't let us ask in advance, nor does it let us choose who we bring here. We wouldn't have resorted to it if we weren't desperate. Our world has lost the majority of power holders who kept the balance in our world and dealt with the dangers of the Segments. Just having one power holder for each Season isn't enough. That's why we have summoned you to become the new Seasonal Power Holders.
This world is composed of four Seasonal Segments. All of them represent one of the seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. They were the places we used to get our resources from, but now they're dangerous places no one should go into unless they have the power to fight back. All of them have their own sets of powerful monsters and natural catastrophes. We have recently managed to regain some footing in the segments and made them safer, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The Darkness still plagues our world, but we are constantly finding ways to fight back.
Otherworlders like you have already made great differences to the world. They have managed to find and free the dragons who in turn helped us expand the area we live in. They also managed to find the Fairy Queen and even the Mermaids and Sirens of the Great Ocean Lake are at peace due to the efforts of a few otherworlders. All of these things we couldn't have accomplished with just four power holders.
My sincere wish is that you would join us in working towards saving this world. We promise to send you home afterwards, or enable a way to travel to your world and back, as a compensation for your efforts here. You're even free to stay here, if that suits you better. This world can also be yours.
I know we're asking you a lot and that it might be hard to trust someone who just talks as a hologram, but you are always free to approach us at our guilds to talk in person.
The hologram can be viewed in private in a separate room later, should someone wish to look at it again. For now, the staff of the Research Center hands everyone their new smartphones with their small flower lucky charms (the flower is anything the player decides). They're also told that the building next door is where everyone can find a room assigned to them with some of their belongings there and possibly even any animal companions. Those concerned about their mount-sized companions are welcomed to the stables downstairs to see if their friends are there. The mounts are allowed to stay there until you find a place more suitable for them.
In the arrival's hall there are also several stands with information pamphlets.
First type of stand is for the local Guilds and about the benefits of joining one.
Second type of stand is for the Welcome Center that aim to show otherworlders what the world is like and help guide people in the beginning of the journey and helps in getting settled into the new world. They even have people to help if you're unfamiliar with the new phones.
Third type of a stand has various pamphlets about businesses opened by otherworlders.
Once you get your smartphone and necessary information, you're urged to go out and find your apartment. After that whatever you want to do is up to you.
The building next door is where everyone can find their new apartments. As you enter, you're told by a friendly native that for the first two months you can live anywhere rent-free and five meals a day are paid for you. After that they get a monthly payment that helps with some of their living expenses, but otherwise they have to have a job to support themselves.
All of the apartments are comfortable, two bedroom apartments with all necessary utilities. They are also completely soundproof. Sometimes the magic system, however, does glitch and you might find yourself rooming with a stranger. This is not the intention and the staff will immediately prepare you a room of your own. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?
Part 3
The locals have taken upon themselves to advertise the Welcome Center that is run mostly by otherworlders. Newcomers are encouraged to visit it, but sometimes the people might think someone who has been a while is new.
Inside one finds a modern Japanese style lobby with plenty of sofas, soft seats and cushions to sit on. Anyone is welcome to just sit around and eat some home-made snacks. There are also computers for searching information and practicing technology skills. There's usually someone behind the front desk, but if no one seems to be there they might be in the kitchen behind the front desk area.
Upstairs there are many rooms that can be into familiar places for characters (not exactly the same, but similar) with futuristic technology. It's set up to help fight any homesickness and provide a quiet place to relax.
One bonus the Welcome Center provides is a gift basket with some treats, basic ingredients for making meals and some gift cards for the Underground Mall, to possibly shop for new clothes or other necessary items. All of these have been donated by volunteers to help newcomers settle in.
Of course the people working here are always looking for new volunteers to help around! There are plenty of things to do, all in the name of making otherworlders' arrival to a new world more comfortable.
In the arrival's hall there are also several stands with information pamphlets.
First type of stand is for the local Guilds and about the benefits of joining one.
Second type of stand is for the Welcome Center that aim to show otherworlders what the world is like and help guide people in the beginning of the journey and helps in getting settled into the new world. They even have people to help if you're unfamiliar with the new phones.
Third type of a stand has various pamphlets about businesses opened by otherworlders.
Once you get your smartphone and necessary information, you're urged to go out and find your apartment. After that whatever you want to do is up to you.
The building next door is where everyone can find their new apartments. As you enter, you're told by a friendly native that for the first two months you can live anywhere rent-free and five meals a day are paid for you. After that they get a monthly payment that helps with some of their living expenses, but otherwise they have to have a job to support themselves.
All of the apartments are comfortable, two bedroom apartments with all necessary utilities. They are also completely soundproof. Sometimes the magic system, however, does glitch and you might find yourself rooming with a stranger. This is not the intention and the staff will immediately prepare you a room of your own. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?
The locals have taken upon themselves to advertise the Welcome Center that is run mostly by otherworlders. Newcomers are encouraged to visit it, but sometimes the people might think someone who has been a while is new.
Inside one finds a modern Japanese style lobby with plenty of sofas, soft seats and cushions to sit on. Anyone is welcome to just sit around and eat some home-made snacks. There are also computers for searching information and practicing technology skills. There's usually someone behind the front desk, but if no one seems to be there they might be in the kitchen behind the front desk area.
Upstairs there are many rooms that can be into familiar places for characters (not exactly the same, but similar) with futuristic technology. It's set up to help fight any homesickness and provide a quiet place to relax.
One bonus the Welcome Center provides is a gift basket with some treats, basic ingredients for making meals and some gift cards for the Underground Mall, to possibly shop for new clothes or other necessary items. All of these have been donated by volunteers to help newcomers settle in.
Of course the people working here are always looking for new volunteers to help around! There are plenty of things to do, all in the name of making otherworlders' arrival to a new world more comfortable.
The months of April and May are the time for a strange weather effect that affects all of the districts, except the one in the middle and Frostreign. It's not weird that it rains, but it's what the rain does that has earned it the title of the Rain of Affection. It's raining very often until the end of May at different times in the affected districts.
Anyone who stands in the rain will feel the need to get close to someone. It starts with a need to gently touch someone, but can escalate into needing a hug. The ultimate craving is kissing in the rain, but that's the most it can make happen. It's a very Safe For Work Rain Effect.
After a successful kiss in the rain, the cravings slowly become less urgent, but the effect can start all over again at any given time. Once someone is completely dry, they will be safe from effects restarting again.
Of course, there are individuals who don't get too affected by the rain (at all or not as badly) and it only works if it directly hits someone. So staying in a shelter or being in the unaffected districts is definitely a way to avoid this whole phenomenon. Even purchasing and using an umbrella helps. The shops around every district are very aware of the need for umbrellas, so there's definitely a variety of them being sold. Some of the umbrellas have a variety of harmless magical effects, like changing the color depending on the users' mood.
Traditionally, the Frostreign district has been too cold for rain, and so serves as a refuge from the Rain of Affection. For the beginnings of this year's rainy season, this rings true, but a few days in, TV and network broadcasts are hijacked with static leading into a video feed of a dimly lit storage room packed with boxes and random garbage. Three shadowed figures stand in front of a yellow banner with a teacup painted on it in cheap acrylic.
The Broadcast [ Click to Expand ]
"Attention, citizens!" One of the figures, the one in the centre, speaks up. "This is a message from the famous Cups Gang!"
The one on the left raises their hand. "Uh, are we really famous? Ain't no one heard of us, 'cept that time we tried scammin' people by openin' a zoo and painted a dog up as a Chimera Bear."
The one on the right pipes up. "And the time we stole city hall! ...Well, we stuck our name on it, that's kinda like stealing it."
"Hey," the first one snaps. "Are you givin' the speech or am I? I say we're famous, we become famous. It's one'a them manifesting things."
"If you say so." The one on the left shifts.
"Anyway." Centre speaks again. "Youse guys in the city think you're so great, hidin' in the snow so you don't gotta get all smoochy-faced in public, eh? Well, you didn't count on us!"
"Yeah!" The gangster on the right pumps their fist. "You're gonna get soaked too! And no one's ever gonna laugh at us again!"
Centre points at the screen. "You got that? Anyone hidin' out in Frostreign, from today on, you're gonna remember the Cups!"
The video cuts off.
True to form, people outside will start spotting hot-air balloons flying from Coldreach and Stormreach into Frostreign with rain barrels, dumping buckets of rainwater onto unsuspecting pedestrians.
What the Cups Gang didn't seem to take into account is that... water freezes. Most of the time, the falling bucketfuls of rainwater will start freezing over, so the unlucky souls underneath will be soaked in Slush of Affection -- just as cuddly as if they'd been rained on in the other districts, but also cold. The slush also quickly freezes with the weather outside, suspending the effect, but if characters go inside or use seasonal powers to warm up, the affection effect reactivates with the melting slush until they either freeze again or dry off.
It's not constantly raining, though, and whenever there's a break in the Rain of Affection, rainbows appear. The citizens claim that the rainbows left by the Rain of Affection can grant wishes; those who have been in Ellipsa long enough may remember the year that the rainbows gave them anything from good luck to a gift card to a free regain from home. What could the rainbows have in store this year?
Anyone who holds hands looking at a rainbow will find that their truest, deepest wish is now clear in their mind. Even if they were in denial over it, worried as to what it would mean, or couldn't name what they wanted most before. Maybe the rainbows wanted to help people make their own dreams come true this year.
Of course, holding hands for longer will increase the magic, and characters might feel compelled to say what they want the most. For some, the sudden emotional honesty might be exactly what they need. For others, being honest, or honest with the specific person they're with at the time, might cause a problem. Might want to be careful out there... but then, do you really know what the people around you want the most?
A new portal has opened up near the Pokémon Vending Machine in the Underground Mall - and it's going to be hard to miss. Right outside of it, there's an archway that's made to look like a very recognizable mascot Pokémon. Early exploration of the new dimension has led them to realize that this place houses a massive array of Pokémon, and as expansive as it is - it’s going to need a lot of people willing to explore it to get the full scope of landmarks and Pokémon that can be found throughout it.
There’s a sign outside of the portal with a list of a few of the things that they’re interested in having information on:
There’s a lot left to be explored, and though there’s no big announcement about the portal, word travels back and everyone is bound to hear about the portal in a short time!
Stepping into the domain is like stepping into another world. Right inside of it, there’s an array of things for getting started on exploration.
There’s a vending machine with simple food and drink items that are going to be easy to store and travel with when venturing further into the domain. There’s also a small machine with camping items - just in case anyone forgot to grab their own before setting out into the domain. Any items bought are yours to keep - and it seems these vending machines were set up just after the domain was opened up.
Nearby, there’s a vending machine featuring things that are needed for any Pokémon Trainer - Poké Balls! All Poké Balls (except Master) are able to be obtained in this vending machine. And, if someone gets lucky it will drop a shiny charm or other useful items in your adventure (think things like Potions, Repels, Lures).
Throughout the domain, there’s several different biomes - mountains, fields, forests, water, ice, caves, etc. They are typically found in biomes appropriate to them (Zubats in Caves, Rattatas in tall grass, Magikarp in bodies of water - for example). Most Pokémon can be found if you search the right spots. There are no Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, and the Pseudo-Legendary are extremely rare.
Other locations that can be found throughout domain are:
They can’t wait to hear what you find on your travels! Stay safe, catch Pokémon, and be sure to share your findings!
Summary of the prompts [ Click to Expand ]
Arrival• Characters appear in one of the four seasonal spaces, depending on what season they are
• After half an hour they are teleported to the Research Center lobby and given information
• Hologram of Olwen (Winter Guild Leader) plays, explaining the situation
• They're given their smartphone-like device and told about the Starter Apartments next door
• Possibility of finding a roommate!
• Welcome Center welcomes newcomers and those who have been here for a while alike
Blame It On the Weatherman
• Rain of Affection, a yearly weather pattern that makes people want to kiss, is happening throughout the city except the Nightwake and Frostreign districts
• Umbrellas are for sale that may have harmless magical effects
• The Cups, a very stupid gang, hijack the airwaves to announce their plan and start dumping Rain of Affection on people who went to Frostreign to escape the rain effect
• During a break in the rain, holding hands looking at a rainbow will make characters realize what they want most, and may make them say it out loud
2.B.A. Master
• A new dimension has opened up near the Pokemon Vending Machine in the Underground Mall.
• Everyone is invited to explore, catch Pokemon, and check out the new landscapes.
• There are a variety of biomes and the full array of Pokemon. Pokemon are found in biomes appropriate to them - except Legendary or Mythical Pokemon, and the Pseudo-Legendary are extremely rare.
• There's several landmarks to visit throughout the Domain.
• There's bicycle and scooter stations to make travel easier.
• Unmanned Pokemon centers and Pokemon Staffed Pokemon centers are scatters.
• Vending Machines with necessary items, Observation Towers, and Campgrounds.
- Ask your questions related to the TDM here.
- List of Pokémon can be found from here or here. Remember to check that a Pokémon that catches your eyes is not legendary or a mythical Pokémon.
- Pokémon guidelines for the game can be found here.
- The TDM is available only to friends of the mods and their friends. If you want to play in the TDM, please leave a note here to inform us who invited you over. We will get to you as soon as possible.
- Test Drive is open for current characters to make a top level as well. New characters can add TDM on their subject line to indicate they're new!
- Current characters cannot access the starting area again to meet new arrivals. They can, however, be at the Research Center when the newbies are teleported in.
- The TDM is game canon so anything in the TDM can happen for your character(s) in the game as well.
- Smut is not allowed on the TDM. You can play situations leading to it, but if the thread is turning into smut, please move it to a private space such a post in your character's journal, or a locked post in the game's log community if you decide to app!
- Check Locations: City to find more areas to explore inside the city. Every place in the districts are open.
- Similarly, Locations: Segments is useful for outdoors adventures.
- You can find monsters to encounter on Beastiary.
- FAQ has information on characters' smartphones as well as general things about the world that might be handy.
no subject
It usually doesn't take long to decide.
He's struggling right now. And he fucking knew it. He's thought about it. He knew if one of these places ever brought Maine, no matter what his time, it was going to be a disaster on his system because none of the options didn't come with some serious baggage.
There is rage, there is absolutely the thought of tanking the bullet to take him down, Wash has always known how to watch for what Maine is planning, there is rage, danger danger danger-
Shock. Surprise.
A nickname he hasn't heard in goddamn years. Well over a decade in years lived versus memories pieced back together.
Fuck, his face is young. Its too young. Epsilon makes the memories too clear, he's young, does he even have Sigma, no, he can't, he's talking-
There is panic on his own face, confusion, a million other emotions that he can't even quantify in his own head.
His heart feels like its about to burst out of his chest.
"Shit-Mac, don't," he gasped, stepping back and pointing the gun at the sky. A worried monkey boyfriend coming in because he hears Wash's heart is trying to burst won't help the situation. "I-Maine?" He can't even keep his voice from cracking.
no subject
Wash is not someone Maine wants to scare.
Wash is scared. Of him.
Maine stares. Something tightens in his chest, twisting painfully. He grimaces. Clenches his jaw and tries to ignore it. Tries to figure out why in the hell Wash is so afraid of him.
They were fine on the mission. Unless Wash got squeamish about Maine slaughtering his way through their enemies? But why would that be an issue?
Maine wets his lips. Tries to think of something to say. Fails.
Then he lets out a long breath through his nose and just. Sits down.
There is no bench beneath him: he's on grass. His brand new trousers immediately start soaking in the water from it, wetting his backside. He grimaces for a different reason, but tolerates the discomfort. Folds his legs and holds his hands out to his sides, palms facing Wash.
It's all Maine can do to make himself look non-threatening. Even then, all that coiled muscle looks like it could unwind in a heartbeat; he looks like he could fling himself at Wash's legs, taking him down at the knees.
(He could.)
But he's not aiming to do that. He's trying hard to make himself something that Wash won't be scared of. Because Project Freelancer may be full of annoying assholes, but Wash isn't one of them.
no subject
Maine's hurt, and he doesn't know why Wash is reacting like this and dammit, he knew this possibility. He had hoped he'd notice things quicker to keep down his fear and not give away...
Away the truth before he figured out even how.
He watches Maine sit down.
Fuck, how can he be scared shitless and want to kick himself so hard at the same time?
He needs to calm down.
He can't let go of the gun yet, even if he's stopped pointing it at Maine. He can put away his phone. Clenches his fist, keep his fingers steady even with a lack of anything to hold. Then he pulls out his hand and signs.
'Thirty seconds.'
Just give him thirty seconds to sort out of his head.
Breathe. He can't take his eyes away form Maine, but his focus isn't so intense.
Worse comes to worse, you just have to yell. Macky will save you in a flash, all super cool like!
And you can get away without having to hurt him. He doesn't have anything that can hold you.
Right. That's right. They're right.
As weird as it is, sometimes its nice to have alters who aren't Him who can say something when his own system decides its going to be thrown in a blender for a few minutes.
As strong as Meta-as Maine can be, he simply has no tools to counter teleportation or shadow portals. He has back up, he has an escape route, this situation doesn't have the means to become Meta-Maine or him.
Ş̸̟͆͊̾ȩ̸̯͓̈́̃ċ̶͓̣̳̓̆ọ̸̝̓̆͂n̷͇̼͓̋̆̀d̶̖̦͂́̚ ̵̨͔͆c̷͇̼̀ͅh̷͇́̃̄ͅa̶̦̭̚n̴̰̗͘c̴͎̳͊e̸̲̾?̵̢̫̘̓͑
Another shuddering breath.
Right.
There was also that.
He just needs his shit together.
One more breath. Twenty-eight, twenty-nine-
"Sorry, big guy," he said. A moment's hesitation, before finally forcing himself to holster the gun. "I....listen, anything I'm gonna say is going to sound like bullshit without so much backstory, but you kind of caught me by surprise and that isn't so great these days. You, uh....might need a closer look to see what I mean?" He said, gesturing to his face and pushing back his hair. Great, now he's definitely soaked.
no subject
Wash keeps staring at him, his focus seeming less intense, but the gun still held in his hand. Maine controls his breathing, fighting the training that tells him to try and knock that gun away.
He focuses on the rain instead. Drops splatting on the bare skin of his head, running down his forehead onto his face. Wash is getting all wet, too. Something tells Maine to get closer, to cover Wash's head with that dumb hood again. He resists what would be a fatal impulse. Keeps focusing on his breath.
Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two…
A pair is talking somewhere behind him, off to the left. He catches the words "rain of affection." File them away.
Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine…
Wash speaks as soon as thirty seconds are up. Precise, as usual. The gun goes away, and Maine's shoulders relax.
About fucking time.
He does as instructed, looking up at Wash from where he still sits on the ground, not wanting to rise and spook Wash again. It's hard to tell in the poor lighting caused by the rain, but after a moment, the changes register. New scars. Gray hair.
Maine blinks. "You're old."
no subject
He's soaked. Meta-Maine is soaked. Compelled contact. Stupid rain. Maine's still on the ground.
He can get away. He has back up. Its a second chance.
Well, he's already soaked.
He takes a few careful steps forward, make sure his movement is broadcasted, and then he's going to sit down on the ground too. Might as well have both of them suffering the wet misery.
Move his leg to press the front of his calf against Maine's. Hopefully that calms down the dumb rain. (He swears if this is the kissing kind, he's going to ask Mac to just kidnap him, he'll deal with the consequences later.)
"Getting close to...forty, I think. Time gets a little weird for the bullshit backstory reasons," he said with a tired chuckle. "But hey, if you needed proof this place is another dimension..." He does jazz hands. "Surprise. Time isn't consistent. Now its either real or you're crazy instead of like some weird con job."
no subject
It's bizarre. Like looking into some freaky funhouse mirror that ages a person instead of making their body change shape.
"Forty," he repeats, like Wash just said some absurdly large number. No wonder, really. Maine is still in his twenties; and given the high-risk lifestyle they lead, forty practically makes Wash an old man.
He squints, considering. "Could be either," he decides. Could be real, or he could've gone crazy. (The latter is a possibility thanks to that mutagen PFL gave him—but he doesn't think the symptoms would manifest like this.)
Then he reaches out with a finger and just. Pokes Wash's knee. Like the first point of contact might be fake, so he needs to confirm Wash is solid.
no subject
But he is very solid. "Yeah, it takes a while to fully believe it sometimes. Ellipsa is less deep end then it can go," he said. "Time isn't consistent, between here and home. I'm from farther in the timeline."
And almost definitely a new timeline, or a new one will be formed because he's not sure he couldn't do all he could with a second chance.
"Now debatable how trust worthy the people in charge are, but all the magic stuff? Yeah, that's true, and there's definitely some messed up darkness creatures. The crazy thing you usually just need time to decide you believe in reality. Take all the time you want, just don't start doing wild things like consequences don't exist." He grins a bit. "Keep it to your usual wild stuff."
"I can show you the magic, if you want. I've been here over a year now."
no subject
It's a lot to take in.
Maine sorts through it all in that quiet way of his: eyebrows furrowed, mind splitting things into what he can deal with now, what he can deal with later, and what he can discard. Unfortunately, since it's Wash telling him these things—and earnestly, no less—Maine can't discard anything. So he sorts it, instead.
Darkness creatures. That's easy to handle. Maine saw his fair share of the war before PFL recruited him. He pastes a few Covie faces on his mental image of "darkness creatures" and calls it a day. That's the enemy. Easy enough.
The timeline business is harder to wrap his head around. Wash is the rookie; Maine is supposed to be the one instructing him about stuff, not the other way around. But here they are. Wash is real; the continued contact of their shins speaks to that. They're sitting in the rain like a couple of idiots, which Maine's mind wouldn't spit out on its own. Wash is visibly older.
And then there's that terrified reaction to consider. Evidence that … what? That Wash knows something Maine doesn't? That he's experienced something that would make him fear Maine?
It's possible, Maine guesses, thinking of York's eye. But it's an unpleasant thought. One he files away for later.
Then there's magic. Impossible as it sounds, that seems the easiest thing to deal with right now.
He lifts his chin, coming out of his quiet musings. "Let's see it."
Half a challenge in his tone. Better make it good, Wash!
no subject
But even without that, he would wait. It was important to give people time to sort things. Especially insane things, even insane by their standards. Magic was wild and way out of the norm.
(Whether or not they have time travel gods in their universe nonwithstanding.)
Wash raises an eyebrow at the challenge. "Oh ho, I was just going to go for the clear, but irrefutable, but if you want a show? All right, all right, I can do a show," he said, shifting back to get to his feet. "Let's see, raining, so that discount a lot of the flashier...and that stuff is just kind of weird if you're not used to..." He snaps his fingers. "Oh, that works with the rain. Might be cooler. I learned how to do this pretty recently. Great when combined with the telekinesis."
He moves back a few more feet. Important to have space, as he holds out his hands, to the side so Maine can see without it getting directed at him. Then there's a red glow at his palms. Then yellow. Then flickering up to white. Then it drips down like something solid and as he creates the lava fully, the rain hits it, steam starting to form as the intense heat mixes with the cool.
But Wash does more than simply create the lava, letting the telekinesis catch it, letting it twist and flow through the air, billowing steam until he finally stops producing lava, and hovering an obsidian statue between his hands.
The rain is still making it steam, so best to not touch QUITE yet.
The statue also looks like a rubber ducky. If more spiky and weird holes. "Ta da. I think I did pretty well for a first time lava rain statue."
no subject
Maine watches the whole show, making for a good audience. His quiet half-challenge gives way to curiosity, then intrigue, and finally awe. He's never seen anything like this. No one from their universe has, he bets. Technology isn't anywhere close to replicating what Wash accomplishes using … magic.
Magic. Which is apparently real, at least here.
Maine isn't one to burst into spontaneous applause, or anything like that. But he grins up at Wash—not a smirk or a small smile, but a real grin—and gives a thumbs up.
Impressive!
Then Maine chuckles, deep and quiet. "A duck," he says, shaking his head, still smiling. Of all the things, Wash.
no subject
God, did he ever use the name Maine around him, or was it always the Meta? He can't try to remember right now.
"I've been going because rubber duckys are fun and also help decorate this water feature where I'm staying."
Gotta have those little joys in life! This is why he brought one and twisty straws to Project Freelancer.
"This one probably won't float though. Not sure how to make it hollow enough." He does sit down again and sets down the rubber ducky nearby. The advantage of lava? It takes a while to fully cool, so now they have heat to go with their wet selves. "I'm a Summer. So fire mostly. And like...moving things? Altering things? The non elemental themes get weird."
no subject
(Maine's locker, meanwhile, had been utilitarian to a fault. Decorated with protein bars.)
He hums, considering Wash with Summer powers. They're impressive, no doubt about that. He recalls reading a brochure that mentioned removing rot—and that, more than anything else he recalls, seems fitting for Wash.
"I'm Winter," Maine says, figuring Wash will know more about it than he does at this point. "Water. Ice. Shadows?"
He shrugs. He doesn't really get that last bit.
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Sometimes you do things the way you do specifically to fuck with people. Whatever sparks joy and all that.
What's funny is he hasn't even learned how to remove rot yet. Mostly because he thinks he can just repair stuff by hand, more often than not.
Plus the birdtile house has awesome filters to avoid rot.
"I know a couple of winters. Plus two experts when it comes to shadow stuff, they could probably teach you all sorts of tricks. Though they're gonna look a little odd when you meet them, but they're good-" There is a pause. "Okay, Macaque is a good guy, Lott is working through some stuff, but he's loyal and that's good enough."
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He snorts in amusement at the idea of bashing through a wall then repairing it. It sounds fun to him. Breaking through walls in his power armor is fun as it is. He likes pretty much anything that lets him unleash his strength like that.
He thinks of one ability he read: Ice Armor. Could it let him do the same thing sans suit…?
"Macaque," Maine repeats. "Met him." His tone doesn't reveal much of what he thinks, though he soon follows with, "Did look odd."
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Wash snickered. He figured Maine would like the idea.
"Ah." A beat. "You must have made a good impression on him," he finally said. Because if Macaque had SEEN Maine and knew Wash was around him with that reaction, he probably would have actually come if Maine gave off bad vibes, regardless of Wash's request.
"He's a monkey-" He hesitates a moment. "Actually, I'm not sure of his race. I know the monkeys are special, and I don't know if that comes with a designation different from demon or dragon or celestial. I know those are in his world, at least."
There is a pause. "Weeee're also dating."
Not like that information is bad to share. Macaque is OP, he's not concerned about his safety.
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Maine blinks.
He blinks again.
He tilts his head to the side like he didn't quite hear right. But he did, definitely. He doesn't need Wash to sign it for him to make sure he got it right. Wash definitely said he's dating a monkey. A monkey who can talk and was smarmy as hell until Maine mentioned his name.
"… How long?" is what he eventually decides to ask.
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By the virtue of knowing how to have a goddamn difficult conversation, something he was desperate for. LMKs are not good communicators.
"So there were a few casual dates. Official status was....early November, so its eight months now."
The real impressive thing is Wash never once talked about dating anyone while in Freelancer. Or expressed interest. Sometimes you just need to be courted for months before a monkey wins you over, demisexual life.
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It's not that Maine has no interest. On the contrary: he likes women and men alike. He just has other priorities.
Humanity is at war. Maine means to help win it.
So while he's surprised by Wash dating someone, he's not as shocked as he might otherwise be. It's mostly surprising that it's a nonhuman.
"Long time," he comments. "Happy?"
That's the thing one is supposed to ask in these situations, right?
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"I am. I don't know the impression he gave you, he enjoys messing with people, but he is a really good guy. Patient in the ways that count with the whole PTSD thing," he said because he's not going to pretend he doesn't have it. Really, its harder to find someone who doesn't have it. "He's there for the good days and the bad days, gives space when I need it, and went at my pace even though he really goes all in when he cares about someone. Trusts me to know what I can handle and to be there when he can't handle something. He's sweet, funny, and don't let him fool you, he's a theater kid through and through. Hard to catch off guard, but when you do, its always the best faces."
He also knows Macaque is hearing all this because he doubts Macaque would stop after the panic Wash was in. He can only imagine how red his face is.
He could say more to get him redder, but he knows Maine has zero interest in any of THAT.
"He makes me feel safe," he ends with.
Because safety is something that was always in short supply during the war.
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When he's satisfied that they're alone (unsurprising, given that they're sitting in the rain), he looks back to Wash. Continues listening, his expression complicated. Happy for Wash, but surprised by the easy admittance of so many feelings.
Maine isn't one to talk about his feelings. As far as he's concerned, he communicates exactly as much as he needs to. No one needs to hear the messy parts.
At the end of it, Maine nods. Then he's quiet for a moment, frowning. Considering how much he should say. Considering what Macaque might say, too.
"He's protective," Maine says at last. "Thought I'd hurt you." More important: "You thought I'd hurt you."
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Its very funny in a way. They worked so hard to manufacture what was essentially a personality disorder, but never picked up what he was doing.
Ah.
So he did equate Maine to Meta at some point. Always hard to say.
He could lie again. But that could go badly later. But the whole truth...
The whole truth was a lot.
"I...couldn't be sure how things would go," he said, words slow and careful. Tapping his knee. "We all knew that Freelancer was going to do something shady. All the projects were like that. There was going to be something the upper brass and ethics committee and population wouldn't approve of. It was just the question of if it was worth it."
Secret military operations were just like that. Laws got broken. It was just sometimes some things had to be broken for the greater good.
Saving humanity was a pretty hard good to not try a lot of fucked up things.
"I....found out what it was. And I...knew it wasn't going to work. When I understood what the Director was trying to accomplish, the very basis he was working from was flawed. The price he was paying was not going to be worth it. It wasn't going to end the war. The only reason I joined the Project was because I wanted to help end it."
Because the Director, even before his obsession with Texas, had a flawed plan from the start.
Soldiers could not function alone. Trying to make a perfect one, even with an AI companion, would still die without someone to back them up eventually. Wash understood that too well. It was why the mind games never really worked on him.
"I left Freelancer. Couldn't exactly serve in a normal way after that. And I...haven't seen you since I did."
Which was also true.
He had only seen the Meta, despite his hopes.
"I've seen a few of the others. Some tried to kill me. Others didn't. I wasn't sure what you would do. And let's be fair, if I let you hit first, my chances go down real fast."
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He's distracted from his concerns when Wash continues talking. Maine's expression closes off slightly, the way it does whenever someone treads a little too close to his past. The way it does when ODST operations come up, despite the tattoo proudly declaring his allegiance. He's never told Wash what landed him in PFL. Never told any of them.
But he knows what Wash means about things that ethics committees wouldn't approve of.
Wash presses on. Maine wonders what, specifically, the Director was trying to accomplish. (Why order the use of live ammo during that training exercise?) But he doesn't push right now. Doesn't think he'd get an answer, what with how jumpy Wash was when they laid eyes on each other. Shit, Wash is probably still jumpy right now, at least a bit.
When Wash mentions that his chances go down if Maine hits first, there's a flash of guilt in Maine's eyes. Just a flash. Because what happened to York was an accident, but it's still fresh in his mind.
He nods. Lets his eyes drop, looking in the vague vicinity of Wash's ridiculous hoodie. Considers his next words.
"Sarcophagus mission," he says. "Remember that? When I'm from."
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The Director never knew how to handle people who were just stalwart in standing by their allies over their own glory or goals.
"I do. I didn't know anything then," he said. He remembers it clearly. Even without Epsilon fucking up his brain in ways that made forgetting incredibly hard, his times in other places refreshed a lot of his Freelancer memories.
And that one had been an easy one to share from his perspective. It let people see what he was talking about his world and fulfilled a lot of boxes for bingo challenges.
No one had to see what happened after and he frowns at that thought.
"Were you taken mid-mission?" He asked, glancing at his neck. "You're missing a scar."
Like his throat got shot multiple times.
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Instinctively, Maine raises his hand to where Wash glanced, touching the smooth skin of his neck. He makes a face. Is he gonna get injured there?
"Will make shaving a bitch," he grouses, annoyed that he's due for a scar. Especially one in such an inconvenient place.
Lowering his hand, he nods. "Had briefcase. Thought it was end mission." Not mid, as Wash said. But it seems there's even more to do.
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But he had wanted to end the war, and he had trusted Connie, for all she was doing something shady. So he had left it alone when he should have been looking too.
He huffed with a bit of amusement. "You thought the same thing when you were out of the hospital too." That wasn't telling too much. Any neck injury worth noting probably meant a trip to it. And as terrifying as that memory had also been, waiting in the hospital, at least Maine still took it in the same kind of stride.
"Unfortunately those guys are awfully persistent. Obsessively so," he said with a rather bitter grimace. Over a decade later, and Hargrove hadn't been able to let it go. "Caught up on the Highway. Texas got involved. Everyone made it back, but there were injuries and certainly bruised egos."
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