Piper 90: Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
goneawaymod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
goneawayworld2021-04-10 09:37 pm
goneawaymod) wrote in goneawayworld2021-04-10 09:37 pm
3..2...1...CONTACT!
Who: The New Hires
What: Sudden Memory Share
Where: Their Memory Palaces
When: After "Don't Touch That Dial"
Warnings/Notes: Possible in every memory, warn in subject lines.
Contact.
It's during a pause in their day. A nap. An idle moment looking across the Top Deck. Taking a slow breath between reps in the training room.
The New Hires are connected. Mental pathways locking together, they're forced into one another's innermost beings. Thrust into one another's memory palaces where the mind collects and stores everything that makes them who they are. The core of their beings are only a few steps away and no one can help the violation.
To make matters worse, it comes with no explanation or no ability to pull out and stop. Once they're through the first memory, perhaps they can find a way out, but they're already witnessing some event from their host's past. And, if they left, who knows whether or not they'd end up accidentally invading another memory palace?
And if they were there, who was in theirs?
[[So, how this works: the memories can either be viewed in spectator mode or the guest can be experiencing everything themselves. The person whose memories are being shown, the host, can watch as their current self or take the form they had of their past self. They can talk about the memory with the "guest" that's visiting.
They cannot control the first memory shown, the player decides that, but they can control any other memories they'd like to show people after. Of course, there's also always the option of an extreme emotional reaction bringing up other memories unbidden.]]
What: Sudden Memory Share
Where: Their Memory Palaces
When: After "Don't Touch That Dial"
Warnings/Notes: Possible in every memory, warn in subject lines.
Contact.
It's during a pause in their day. A nap. An idle moment looking across the Top Deck. Taking a slow breath between reps in the training room.
The New Hires are connected. Mental pathways locking together, they're forced into one another's innermost beings. Thrust into one another's memory palaces where the mind collects and stores everything that makes them who they are. The core of their beings are only a few steps away and no one can help the violation.
To make matters worse, it comes with no explanation or no ability to pull out and stop. Once they're through the first memory, perhaps they can find a way out, but they're already witnessing some event from their host's past. And, if they left, who knows whether or not they'd end up accidentally invading another memory palace?
And if they were there, who was in theirs?
[[So, how this works: the memories can either be viewed in spectator mode or the guest can be experiencing everything themselves. The person whose memories are being shown, the host, can watch as their current self or take the form they had of their past self. They can talk about the memory with the "guest" that's visiting.
They cannot control the first memory shown, the player decides that, but they can control any other memories they'd like to show people after. Of course, there's also always the option of an extreme emotional reaction bringing up other memories unbidden.]]
no subject
Doesn't seem like an implausible scenario, really. Shelley laughs a little, relieved there's no more shouting. For once she feels she can relax.
"Sorry I was here for all that. Heavy stuff, right? I'm not going to pry, it's none of my business, so don't worry about that"
And also everything she heard said quite a bit already. She can imagine details, and really, finding out if they're accurate doesn't seem like a good idea. Shelley can feel from South's reactions to all that that it was all hitting a little close to home, and discussing it with a complete stranger definitely wouldn't be a good time for anyone involved.
Still...
"Really? You can get even angrier than that?"
Because that was quite the show of fury, if she can be worse than that then South turns out to be a quite fearsome person, she thinks.
no subject
"Pretty sure I did something like that once," South says, and it's not exactly clear whether she's joking or not, even if she's giving a bit of a smirk.
She sighs, sitting forward, leaning her elbows on her knees. The memory of her just keeps beating on that bag, though if she remembers right, she might have started angry crying at some point, and she sure hopes this thing doesn't linger long enough to show that.
"Coulda been heavier," she says with a shrug, because god if it isn't true. This memory does still hurt, but it's not as bad as it could have been. There's 'heavy' and there's 'anyone who sees it will fucking hate me', and heavy's the better option, if this must happen. "And I sure fuckin' can, that was pretty fuckin' intense but I've definitely done more shouting and broken more things in an argument than that before."
no subject
Because although Shelley is a good-natured and decently sweet person, she does have a notable capacity of being selfish in a way that causes significant trouble to other people. Not the greatest first impression she could make, those one would be.
"Remind me not to make you mad! I'm sure you can tell: I'm not good at fighting, flaw that goes awful with the stubborness I'm known for! If I get on your bad side that'll end with me nursing a bruise somewhere else in the rig"
Although she's keeping her tone cheerful it doesn't really take a genius to notice she's trying to lighten things up. As an apology, pretty much. Still...she does keep subtly glancing at the memory South.
no subject
"Nope," her lips pop on the 'p', "doesn't look like we get much fuckin' choice. Least not in what memory someone gets dropped right into."
At least something like this makes her look... sympathetic, she supposes. As violating and humiliating as it is to be seen in such a vulnerable, raw state as she was that day.
She shakes her head with an almost amused snort. "Don't worry, I don't go punching people just for pissing me off, or I'd be punching a lot more people. Might wanna figure out some basic self-defense while you're here though, the Jorg have no fuckin' qualms about sending the unqualified on missions that might involve fighting."
no subject
Self-defense only does so much against giant butterflies and birds -- and if they find something larger than that, they'll be in trouble. At least the daily training will keep her in better shape than usual, but having decent strength means nothing if you can't apply it properly!
...should she ask...
"Is there any..." she leans forward as if she may be asking for something she shouldn't. "...weaponry? We could use? Something?"
Surely they're not expecting everyone to just go out there and fight with their bare hands! She hopes so, at least.
no subject
"We only get weapons and gear if we're sent on an official assignment off-rig," South says, with a sigh and a tone that says everything about how annoyed about that she is. "We've had a couple attacks on the rig from Stuff creatures and we didn't get shit to use then."
It's ridiculous, honestly. She's talked about this with someone else, and she stands by what she said then: it's insulting. Like any of them have so little self-preservation instinct that they'd instantly turn weaponry on Jorg when there's kill switches inside them. Ugh.
"So if they send us out there? We'll get our gear, probably, yeah. But if those things get into the rig, or when you're up top? Shit outta luck."
no subject
Well, not that she was too eager after getting kidnapped and all, but really, it doesn't take much to get Shelley to cooperate with you, even if you're obviously up to no good. This company is definitely making itself as unappealing as possible.
"I should be glad this power I received will keep me alive and intact. Probably. It doesn't seem too hard to use and it has its tactical uses, so I'm just going to milk it as much as I can"
Perhaps it's not the best power for an impulsive person like Shelley, but she's got a clever mind. She's very confident when push comes to shove she can use it well and keep herself alive no matter what.
no subject
"There's not a good word to say about 'em. We defeated a shapeshifter that their lax security even enabled to get around the fucking rig, and they rewarded everyone with another jello cup. Half of 'em don't think we're even real people, I think? Which probably explains a lot."
Easy to dehumanise people when you don't think they're even human. Ugh. She's so tired of being the plaything of corrupt command structures, the sooner they figure out how to bust the joint without getting them all killed, the better.
"You're one of us who got something new, huh? What I got fuckin' landed with goes against my usual skillset, so that's... fun." It's not fun. She hates one of the two powers she has with a passion, even as useful as it is in theory.
no subject
Multiply that jello cup for a hundred and maybe she'll like that reward.
"I'm pretty sure the world figured out I needed a hand. They didn't install these powers on us or something like that, right?"
It wouldn't be her first time being experimented on, but better ask and make sure she's up to date on that, she figures. Her trust in everything Jorgmund said during that introductory meeting is going down quite quickly.
no subject
"It sure fucking isn't."
The people involved didn't even get basic rewards like doors or something, like, c'mon. She sighs, shaking her head.
"Nah, far as I can tell it's got nothing to do with Jorg. Don't think that's a thing they can do, and some people arrived with nothin' new, so..."
Shrug. She figures if Jorg was doing it, everyone would have something, and she certainly wouldn't have been given powers that might be more suited to fucking over Jorgmund than helping them.
"Thing I'm learning around here is if in doubt, assume the Stuff has something to do with it."
no subject
"All begins and ends with the Stuff, alright"
Half of her mind on going to the training area latter to seek a punching bag and wallop it like past South over there is doing, she asks:
"Also, is there anyone I should watch out for? You know, that teammate you're better not getting in touch with because they'll try to get you in trouble for no reason, or something like that"
Sounds a little juvenile when she says it like that, but in general she asks if there's anyone she should be wary of.
no subject
Without any hesitation, South answers: "Price. Aiden Price. Avoid him at all costs, he's a manipulative son of a fuck who ruined multiple people I know's lives."
He makes himself pretty untrustworthy by nature, but if someone's asking, she'll warn them away before he needs to.
"Then uhhh— Mac, I think's another one? The guy's... a character. Not sure what his actual deal is but I sure as hell don't think people trust him."
She's not super in the loop, but she's caught bits and pieces, at least.
no subject
Alas, what are the odds she will be able to not approach them? She possibly will start talking to them, form an opinion, and then find out they were Price or Mac and decide it wasn't so bad. Shelley may have to learn the hard way.
no subject
Over at the punching bag, the memory of South's punches start getting sloppier, the sound of the impacts losing its relative rhythm. Present South flinches subtly, knowing full well the other her is likely about to start angry crying like she suspected she would.
"Yeah, trouble never really stops here. Missions, random shit happening on the rig, Jorg being assholes... better to try and avoid the shit you can avoid."
Says South, who has caused herself so, so much trouble since arriving on the rig. Call it learning from experience.
no subject
"It'd be nothing new in my life, anyway. It's not like I mind, but there's always trouble wherever I go!"
Sometimes it's her fault, sometimes it's something that happens around her. Everyone knows her presence foreshadows trouble. Jorgmund should have thought twice before bringing her.
no subject
"Guess we better hope some of that trouble lands on Jorg's fuckin' shoulders then," South says, and it's not entirely sure if she's taking Shelley literally or not, but it doesn't really matter, the sentiment remains the same. "Whatever doesn't... well, the group's not exactly a well-oiled fuckin' machine, but we've solved our share of the trouble that's already hit, so..."
She shrugs.
She hears her past self's breath hitch before releasing in an angry, uneven noise, and she sighs, but at least it's not her outright sobbing or something equally pathetic. And if nothing else, it means the memory is close to running its course.
no subject
She hopes so, at least.
"Hey, sometimes all that matters in a team is not dying, and last I checked on the rig there's no graveyard full of hires from another world. That has to count for something -- so being a "good team" with synergy and all that is secondary"
Well, to be fair, there could be a graveyard and she hasn't seen it yet. It's not impossible.
no subject
South absolutely does not know what she's doing, emotionally speaking, but she'd rather everyone thought she did. Anger's always been a convenient mask for everything else. Less pity and questions, that way.
"Y'know, you're right, I don't think anyone's died; had people like... disappear, but I don't think even they died."
Which means they're already doing better than the last team South was in. Not that it's really hard to clear the low bar the Freelancers set; it's practically imbedded in the ground, considering half of them ended up trying to kill or actually killing each other.
no subject
"Disappeared? Did they do anything wrong before it happened?"
That's extremely alarming, but also catches her interest. There are so many possible causes! From Jorgmund getting their hands on them for some punishment, to the Stuff causing something unexpected that made them disappear. Or they could just have fallen off the rig and nobody noticed, it could just be that.
Still...the thought that at any point one of the New Hires may just be gone sure is something that'd keep some people awake at night.
no subject
"Not that I know of. They just kinda... weren't there one day, far as I fuckin' know. But I wasn't super close to anyone that I know I haven't seen around in a while, so..."
She shrugs slightly. It's entirely possible Jorg got rid of them for some reason, it's not like Jorg values their lives as anything more than convenient meatshields and people to do their dirty work for them. Or it's possible they somehow ended up going home, that'd be the optimistic answer, but South's not a particularly optimistic person.