NOVEMBER SWEAR-IN: DIE HARD ON THE MOON

[stabbyfingers]

WHO: Anyone! It's the swear-in!
WHERE: THE MOON
WHEN: November 17th (Swear-In) and November 18th (Die Hard)
WHAT: There's a swear-in on the moon! Which then gets taken over by Negotiator and his army of body-controlling alien scarabs! OOC PLOTTING POST AND MORE INFO HERE!
WARNINGS: Nothing for the first part; but part 2 has violence, body horror, death



The Swear-In

Welcome, one and all, to the International Moon Research Base! For this month’s Swear-In, imPorts and locals alike are quickly ushered out of the arrival bay - guarded by far more security than usual; they’ve been through enough attacked Swear-Ins to want to stay on top of things! - and off to the uppermost level of the Residential Dome. It’s a beautiful place as it is, the lush grass of the park a homey, familiar contrast to the endless vacuum of space you can see through the thick, glass ceiling, but today’s organizers weren’t happy with the natural beauty on display. Instead, they’ve marred the scenery with a sizeable banner reading WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER and throughout the area, there are various inspirational posters depicting teamwork. Whoever was in charge didn’t get the memo that inspirational office posters are out of vogue, and they’re almost painful in their sincerity, especially when coupled with the rest of the decorations, seemingly suited more for an office’s teamwork retreat than a Swear-In; there are plenty of balloons to be had, streamers, party hats, and other bits of bric and brac that look suspiciously as though they were bought from the local dollar store. One thing they didn’t skimp on, however, is food and drink. One table is dedicated solely to space food (with an enormous pile of the requisite horrible freeze-dried ice cream) accompanied by a large hydrator to inject hot water where it’s needed. The rest of the tables thankfully have better fare suited more for a picnic on Earth; there are platters of sandwiches, cured meats and cheeses, a truly obscene amount of potato salad, pre-cut vegetables, and anything else one would be able to feasibly find at a picnic. While there’s plenty of soda, juice and water for the sober, they’ve also provided a drinks cart for those who need a little bubbly with their socialization; imPorts may choose from a variety of beer, wine, and cider provided they’re of age.

Once the entire assembly has piled into the room, locals and imPorts alike, a short, cheerful looking woman with dark curly hair steps onto the stage and begins to speak, the speech too long and filled with too many failed jokes for even the most dutiful audience member to stay engaged the whole time. At the end, however, she goes over her thesis statement with a sort of wide-eyed fervor. “So you see, everyone, we’re all in this together! Just look around! From up here, the Earth looks so small - doesn’t peace seem truly attainable when you look at it that way? All we need is to work together, and the rest will fall into place. That’s all I have to say. Please, enjoy the rest of the retreat!” And with that, everyone is finally left to their own devices to mingle as they will.

For those who don’t wish to participate in the number of team activities, there’s some basic entertainment afoot. There’s a bouncy castle on the bottom floor of the moon base, moon tours done on a continuous hour-long loop, a robot-human love story movie being broadcast upon the moon’s surface (popcorn and beanbag chairs freely provided) and, of course, the recently vacated stage for any imPorts that get a bee in their bonnet to say a few words.

That said, the main event is the number of activities available to those who wish to partake in the Teamwork Competition. ImPorts are randomly sorted together (though you nasty cheaters out there may simply pretend to have been so) to participate in front of a panel of judges. They include:

TRUST FALLS: Exactly what it sounds like! Close your eyes and fall backwards into the protective embrace of your partner!
EYE CONTACT: Stare into each other’s eyes for five whole minutes. True connection is through eye contact! And… oh, is this getting a little awkward, or is it just me?
SHARING IS CARING: Share one important thing about yourself! You’re encouraged to share some form of private information about yourself - the more intimate the better!
LEADING THE BLIND: One person is blindfolded and is guided through a maze of obstacles, including a field of tires, a lego minefield, and teetering from platform to platform atop a large kiddie-pool of goo.
COMPLIMENT JUNCTION: Say one genuinely nice thing about your partner! Go on - we’re all listening.
THE GET-ALONG SHIRT: Participants are forced into a single shirt to complete a variety of climbing challenges. There is no such thing as personal space.
CREATIVE DESIGN: See those teamwork posters around the room? Time to collaborate to draw and caption your own!

The prizes for completion of these activities include:

GOLD: Wow! You completed all of the tasks with the seriousness and dedication they deserve! For this, you get a real-life spacesuit, complete with oxygen tank and, hilariously, a small projector on the inside of the visor so you can watch Bluetube in space. Even if you don't have any use for it, it would make one of the coolest decorations for your house ever - so it comes with a strangely buff mannequin
SILVER: You did okay! For this, you get a gift certificate to dine for two at any eating establishment on the moon. Why not take your partner?
BRONZE: Well, you completed it to the best of the ability. You get moon shoes.
PARTICIPATION: You didn’t even try. For this, you get an assortment of carnival grade plushies, including an alien plushie, a moon plushie or, confusingly, this. Toe to tip, that’s a Bart.


The Attack

In the evening, after the Teamwork Competition is completed, things start to wind down, and imPorts and guests are officially off the hook, though the movie still has a few more showings and there’s a post-games mixer for people who want to get to know each other better.

For the people who head home now, they’re the lucky ones.

Something strange starts happening with the residents of the moon base. Their movements start to seem jerky, unnatural. They might bump into you and pass something on, as those they pass feel a sudden a strange sharp pain in their back or worse. People who pass by the alien imPort known as the Negotiator might feel something on them too.


Then Negotiator starts the attack, beginning with (cw warning: injury) Jaime Reyes and initiating the takeover. Instantly blue and black armour erupts from the Scarabs he’s been implanting into people - and those Scarab hosts had been given Scarabs of their own to pass on. Horrifically unfinished, these soldiers have some protection and basic laser weaponry, but more importantly, they have complete control of the movements of their hosts.

Speakers through the station begin playing a pre-recorded message in the Negotiator's voice:

“This Moon is now under control of the Reach, whose will is now being enacted through me, their Negotiator. You are now all hostages. Stay calm, stay orderly, obey orders and you will survive. Scarabs, if any hostages fail to comply, you have permission to fight. If they continue to resist, start killing the other hostages. For those of you foolhardy enough to believe you will survive -- consider the consequences on others.”

Perhaps you managed to hide or slip away or escape. The Porter room is heavily guarded by Scarab guards, so you might be hiding somewhere on the station in secret. Perhaps you are now a hostage, waiting to see what happens next. Or perhaps you’ve been infected by a Scarab and your actions are now no longer your own, and the thing moving you only listens to the Negotiator. And maybe you’re on Earth, hearing about what’s happening on the Moon with horror or anger.

Regardless, the night ends in a stalemate. You have time to speak with your fellow hostages, patrol the corridors, plan your lunar revolution.

The next day, Negotiator starts losing control. Fights break out, hostages break free, rescues begin from within and without, and people start going after the one who did all this.

Chaos reigns on the moon as the Scarab hosts are ordered to bring control back by any means necessary and the Negotiator fights for his life, ultimately losing it. After his death, any Scarabs that hadn’t been already destroyed or removed from their hosts instantly deactivate, and the Moon, once again, returns to human (and imPort) hands.

Nurse your wounds, find your friends, and maybe finally you’ll get to go home. That sure was a Swear-In and a half, at least.

Comments

NEGOTIATOR

[stabbyfingers]

(( I'm going to ping the people who signed up and make starters for them individually! Please don't respond to this comment, thank you! ))

FOR MOLLY

[stabbyfingers]

[ Negotiator is there, Jaime Reyes very recently taken care of and Khaji Da in one hand as the Scarab-hosts start taking control, and imPorts are beginning to be Scarab-fied. Everything seems to be going perfectly -- he can't help but be smug. Not so bad for a plan made without the holy Writ (blessed be the Writ).

He's not really paying attention to the people around him who haven't been Scarab'd -- evidentally he doesn't think they're important. ]

LUCINA

[fauxmarth]

[open & closed prompts to cascade in here]

OPEN: pre-disaster activities

[fauxmarth]

1. Eye contact
Right, then.

[Lucina scoots a chair out and plops in front of you. this is not just a valuable exercise in bonding, but also a competition, and homegirl isn't here to lose.

she sits up straight, folding her hands in her lap, nodding.]

Ready?


2. Compliments
[this one seems nice! compliments are nice! she's seated and ready, wondering if the detail of the compliment earns more points or not, so forgive her for looking a bit distracted in thought when you're here to challenge her.]


3. Posters
Hmmm...

[an empty canvas is very challenging, indeed. but look at all these supplies. paints, markers, colored pencils, glitter...

she rubs her chin thoughtfully, tilting her head this way and that as she surveys the table.

then, to you, partner:] The theme of teamwork is quite broad; do you have any particular ideas of how to approach that would stand out?

Kaneki | OTA

[ghoulking]

MINGLING
[ it’s funny that they have posters and there is even a woman giving her speech about working together, while the whole damn world and even united states government continuously ignores the threat that OTO poses. Funny and definitively bad taste. Kaneki is not amused and he absolutely does not feel inspired by any of it.

Either standing in front of a poster while he shakes his head (anyone who’s close enough might even hear him sigh and comment “How silly.”), or away from the crowd near a window while he looks outside, he isn’t particular excited about any of this.

If someone tries to offer him food, he politely refuses, but asks for a cup of coffee, until he finds out it’s just really bad coffee. You might catch him looking at the cup, almost offended at how bad the thing tastes, and will be trying to dump it in the bin when no one is watching. But naturally, people are always watching. ]


TEAMWORK
[ Kaneki isn’t just looking at everything disapprovingly. He realizes halfway he has been bitter (just like the coffee they gave him…) and he decides to join in with the activities. It looks like fun, deep down, and why not relax for at least a little bit?

Eye contact is absolutely awkward. Kaneki barely lasts two seconds, quickly moving his eyes way. He isn’t used to being seen or looking at people so intimately (he considers it intimacy, yes) and it’s honestly a bit embarrassing. So don’t be surprised if suddenly his cheeks turn red.

Get-along shirt is terrible. Who even came up with this. Kaneki is short, and while he wears heavy and dark clothes, he is in fact, pretty buffed, and whoever is sadly squished against him will feel kaneki to be pretty much like a rock. Sorry about that, it’s pretty uncomfortable. On the other hand, kaneki apologizes a lot too, because he is embrassed and not used to be touched or touching others.

Creative design is a lot easier! Kaneki is actually a pretty decent artist, and he is ready to draw if necessary. Mostly flower. And rabbits. Humans, he isn’t so good at it, but look he will draw flowers all over if he has to.

Feel free to pick the other options too! ]


ATTACK
[ Things always get weird during swear-ins. Kaneki sees people acting strange and it’s like his “spider-senses” tingle; in other words, something smells rotten. He looks around, unsure of what is happening just yet, until he bumps into someone – and a couple of seconds later there is some sort of pain going on. Kaneki winces, tries to reach for his back, and realizes he can’t move his arms. Or his legs.

Its as if he is frozen in place for what feels like a whole lifetime, and then his body moves, but not under Kaneki’s control. He feels like his body is not his own, doing things he isn’t trying to do, and then there is Negotiator’s voice.

Kaneki feels his body moving again, heading towards a group of people, the hostages. Doesn’t mean the ghoul isn’t struggling though, and whoever sees him approach can see how hard Kaneki is trying to break free… and failing at that. ]

Fuck, fuck- fuck! [ kaneki never curses, but now it’s the right time to curse ]

Getting along shirt

[drivesadesk]

Kaneki is short. Jonathan is tall. They're both pretty well toned (though Jonathan's body isn't nearly as hardened as Kaneki's, what is this guy's work out?). Overall, the match up was terrible and uncomfortable for both of them, and Jonathan was crouching to try and match Kaneki's height.

At least the warmth from his body was pretty nice.

"Maybe if you start climbing first, we can make up for the height difference that way?"

Legosi | OTA

[legosi]

1. REGISTRATION
[ the wolf was told registration is good, but to this day he doesn't have much of a clue what it means. In all honesty, he has been a lot busier trying to understand how this world works, rather than thinking about politics and heroes and registration.

As he reads the pamphlet in silence, Legosi's eyes move to the imports next to him, as if trying to see their tattoos and trying to figure out what have they chosen. While it's only eyes at first, eventually he even comes closer which makes his whole staring MUCH MORE obvious - sorry about the scary tall wolf peering down at your arm, he promises he isn't trying to eat you. ]

2. Food
[ Legosi is a vegetarian wolf. It sounds absolutely ridiculous and unnatural, but in his world, all animals are people and you can't just eat people (or you shouldn't. it... actually happens, sadly. Never to legosi, he never ate anyone! But he does know herbivores who have been eaten). In any case, naturally when he approaches the food, he is looking at it absolutely weirded out. Not only he has never seen this kind of food, he absolutely wants no meat in his place ]

Uhm- can... I not eat the meat? [ the lady serving them comments "OH a vegetarian wolf? that's hilarious!!" before she gives him a tray without any animal flesh, leaving him to blink. He has no idea what a vegetarian is, that word doesn't exist in his world (technically, all animals should be so), but he assumes it's only normal for wolves not wanting to eat meat.

legosi moves away shyly, tail handing down, as he looks down at his food ] ... it looks even worse than usual. [ legosi eats at the school canteen back in Heropa, and while it's not amazing, at least it looks better than this]

3. Teamwork exercises
[ He isn't outgoing but they were asking imPorts to do teamwork exercises and Legosi wasn't sure if he could refuse. So he ended up here. The exercises are going to be surprisingly easy for him. The wolf doesn't mind staring (he does that A lot), he trusts others to stop his fall (though he is now over 2 meters tall and pretty heavy, Legosi apologizes if his partner can't handle a falling wolf), he is ready to share his stories about his bugs, compliments come easy for him, and the get-along shirt is really nice when your partner is a fluffy wolf.

So have fun with that! ]

4. Wolves on the moon
[ Back home, all animals had something called "territory day" in which they went to a room that resembled their natural habitats, and this would help them to relax, grow stronger, and become more in tune with the world and themselves. The Wolves' room is often a small room with some greenery and a lamp that pretends to be moonlight. Legosi never cared much about territory day, but surprise surprise- he is now on the moon.

And he is amazed.

The wolf is by window, watching the moon and space outside, and while he doesn't seem that expressive, his tail is wagging SUPER FAST. Fast enough to actually hear it thumping against his legs and everyone who passes by. Legosi's face might not easy to read, but his tail sure is ]

3

[crimeboy]

[Oh my god his partner is a wolf! Akira looks delighted, honestly, except that maybe trust falls would be tough with such a big guy. He's been working out but not THAT much... he thinks.]

Uh, so. Guess we should just start with the trust falls, huh?

Finn Onaru | The Elder Scrolls | OTA

[fireandhoney]

Mingling
Finn likes swear-in time. It's a good chance to make connections, meet the new arrivals, and get some good grub while he's at it. Never know when one might meet possible Dark Brotherhood recruits as well.

He makes his way to the snack table, raising an eyebrow at the various assorted foodstuffs. The Dunmer picks up something that's labeled "ice cream" and takes a bite out of it. Immediately he spits it into a napkin.

"They call this ice cream?"

The Attack
Finn's stealth skills came in handy for when shit went down. He turned invisible and used all his stealth skills to remain hidden and avoid capture. Tennis shoes aren't exactly the best for sneakiness, but that's what a good muffle spell is for.

It's only when the chaos dies down (in other words, when hostages are taken and wrangled up), does Finn emerge. He knows what he has to do. Rescue some hostages, and if he can, send the bastard who orchestrated this to Sithis.

Finn hears someone rounding the corner. Friend or foe, he wonders. Either way, a fireball appears in Finn's hand as he whips around, prepared to either throw it or let it extinguish at a moment's notice.

Closed to Akobi

[fireandhoney]

Finn swears he's seen someone who looks like Akobi before. Maybe at the store or at some previous Swear-In. He's pretty sure he's gotten better at telling humans apart after more than a year away from Morrowind.

They have poster paper and various art supplies laid out before them, and were pretty much told to be creative.

"So, what do you think? I'm picturing maybe we make generous use of the glitter, and lots of blue. Kinda wishing I had my metallic markers with me."

The Gray Man | The Raven Cycle | OTA

[tenofswords]

Teamwork
The Gray Man has never been much of a team player, since he's used to working alone. Even with the Raven Boys he's mostly been allowed to do his own thing solo. So this should be interesting.

He looks to the person next to him and asks, "I think Leading the Blind might be interesting. What do you think?"

Scarab Host
Normally Mr. Gray wouldn't be captured so easily. He's taken on multiple opponents at once before and always come out on top with barely a scratch.

But then something latched onto his back and his movements were no longer his own. He finds himself helpless as his body moves without input from him, and he's covered in strange armor. Thanks to his power, the armor turns dark gray.

The Gray Man's on patrol, looking for any stragglers.

Teamwork

[crimeboy]

Oh hey! This guy looks familiar, and Akira quickly recognizes him from handing out samples outside of his coffee shop. "Leading the Blind, huh?" There weren't really any downsides to it, were there? The obstacle course was likely to leave him with a stubbed toe or something, but otherwise he'll PROBABLY be fine.

"Yeah, sure! Did you want to be blindfolded, or should I?"

Anders | Dragon Age | OTA

[rebelhealer]

Teamwork
Anders still can't believe he's on the moon. That great big thing up in the sky. It seems so unreal. He tried asking where the other moon was, only to be told that Earth only has one. He finds that very strange.

He figures it might do him and Justice good to participate in the team work exercises. For now, they're going with Compliments.

Anders looks at the person he's paired up with. "I like your outfit."

The Attack
The second things go to the Void, Anders manages to cast a glyph around himself for protection, as well as a few paralysis glyphs at anyone who comes at him and gets himself to safety for now. Justice had to be convinced that they couldn't save anyone if they got caught, or worse, so it's best to lay low for just long enough when the guard patrols thin out.

It's a few hours before Anders emerges from his hiding spot, doing his best to avoid the armored scarab hosts. At one point, he's forced to duck inside a closet to hide from a pair of guards. It's a tense moment, only broken when he hears the footsteps fade.

Eventually, he peeks out, seeing an uninfected imPort approaching, much to his relief. "Psst. Hey, you."

Rescuing Hostages
Anders can see some of the hostages, and it makes Justice burn under his skin at the sight. They have to rescue these people.

Somehow he manages to knock out the scarab host standing guard, after which he runs towards the hostages. "Does anyone need healing?"

Teamwork

[bindsthedead]

Sabriel is proud of her surcoat. It's dark blue silk, stitched with hundreds of shimmering silver keys- the symbol and colors of the Abhorsens.

"Yours is... very nice too. I like the feathers on it."

Fuu Hououji; OTA

[monster_san]

Regular Swear-in Things In Space

[So. She's back on this alternate future Earth.

And they've acquired a Moonbase.

And they're using it to hold corporate jargon trust exercises.

...It's a combination so surreal that Fuu has no choice but to be overwhelmingly amused by it all. So she's got a smile on her face as she moves through the Leading the Blind, the Eye Contact, and the Creative Design challenges, looking for partners.]

Hello! My name is Fuu Hououji. [a polite bow] Would you like to learn how to work as a team?

Breakdown in Negotiatorion

[sooooo. Scarabs possessing people. Hostages taken. Fighting going on.

Fuu feels extremely lucky; she managed to find a nook to hide herself in. Thank goodness for being relatively small and operating in one-sixth gravity--it means there are more hiding places available to her.

She considers her options. There are people possessed by scarabs... and Fuu does not want to hurt them. Thankfully she does have a spell specifically designed for restraining people she doesn't want to hurt. And there are hostages, many of whom have combat abilities of their own...

And of course there's Jaime, who is in a cage somewhere around here, and whom she would very much like to find.

But there is undoubtedly a lot of ground to cover between this stairwell and him, so Fuu decides that the best thing to do is to effect some rescues on the way. She draws her weapon--a bow and arrow embellished with wings and emeralds, rather than the seven-foot sword she's used to--and sets off carefully, trying to attract as little attention as possible.]

( fighting )

[girlybruiser]

[ Noir has been fortunate herself to have found a spot to hide away in, at least to change into her Phantom Thief attire, mask on to protect her identity as she attempts to resolve the situation at hand. She actually, feels increasingly overwhelmed as she slips through the halls, uncertain what direction to take. Her mind races, trying to brainstorm what she can be doing besides running aimlessly. Should she look for hostages? Try to find the Negotiator himself? Her thoughts stray to Jaime's bloody figure on the video, her gut twisting and face turning pale.

She's preoccupied with such horrid thoughts she doesn't realize the other girl nearby until Noir almost collides into her. She immediately stumbles back, massive axe swinging dangerously close, but not hitting Fuu. Noir does yelp loudly, raising her weapon defensively. ]

W-what are you doing?! Who are you?!

[ She doesn't mean any harm, really. ]

Cayde-6 | OTA

[lootsnshoots]

I. Mingle
[Although all the activities and decor are cheesy, Cayde has taken to them with gusto. He's thrown on a party hat over his hood, grabbed a full tray of snacks, and is making a concerted effort to explore every aspect of the station. But for as much as he's driven to join in the party atmosphere, he finds himself being drawn to the windows to look out over the surface of Luna. He puts his hands up to the thick glass and stands, silent. Contemplative, even.

There's no ruins perched delicately at the edge of gaping fissures glowing with a sickly green light. No Hellmouth. No Hive. This is what it was like.]

II. Trust Exercises!
[Cayde is no stranger to grinding ridiculous tasks for prizes, it is after all the main way Guardians are motivated to do anything, so you can bet your ass that he is dedicated to getting that gold participation prize.

Trust Falls: Don't worry Cayde's got you on this. Likewise, he's not too worried about the reverse, seeing as in the worst case scenario his Ghost will rez him if you don't catch him and he snaps his neck and dies. He'll whine at you a lot if that happens, though.
Eye Contact: Cayde's a robot. This is, in theory, super easy for him. In theory.
Sharing Is Caring: Oh, this is the hard one but if you're nice he'll give you the choice to ask about his cloak or his Ace.
Leading the Blind: Cayde's willing to tank this because he's immortal and doesn't know what Legos are or the dangers they posses
Compliment Junction shouldn't be too hard
The Get-Along Shirt Cayde is relatively tall, and also a robot, and also unnaturally agile. Surely this can't go wrong
Creative Design Cayde starts on this easily, with "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!" as his caption]

III. Attack

[The incident finds Cayde more off-guard than he would care to admit. Perhaps he was lulled into a sense of complacency by the functioning moonbase. Regardless, he finds himself overwhelmed and frustrated by the swiftness of the scarab attack in that he was unable to end it before it became a hostage situation. He is, however, able to retreat into hiding to plan a counter-attack thanks to his earlier reconnaissance. His priority as he does so, however, is aiding others to safety, so perhaps you are with him as well, planning a counter-attack...]

IV. Wildcard
[Something not covered but you definitely wanna do on the moon with Cayde? Joker's wild, friend.]

mingle

[bindsthedead]

It's beautiful, isn't it? [Sabriel's not familiar with robots or AI, so her initial thought is that she's speaking to someone in armor and a mask.]

I don't think anyone in my world would believe me if I told them about this though.

JAIME REYES | OTA

[khajidont]

copying sweet elle and fragmenting them into two!

SWEAR-IN

[khajidont]

SWEAR-IN

o1. teamwork.

Man, this is all they could come up with? [ Jaime is, game as ever, ready to participate. Honestly, he just wants a free meal... or one of those awful, awful stuffed animals. He rubs idly at the nape of his neck as he looks at the assortment of tasks available to them. ]

Let's not start with the one where you just gotta stare at each other for five minutes. That just seems kind of excessive.

o2. mingling.

[ Otherwise, Jaime's out and about, wandering aimlessly around the park. You can find him staring out into space, looking thoughtful for a moment before he shakes his head, shaking off whatever it is that's caught his attention. Or perhaps you find him by the food table, picking up a small chunk of freeze-dried ice cream and popping it into his mouth, only to find out: ] Eugh! This sucks! Man, and I wanted to try this stuff so bad when I was a kid.

[ Or, of course, you can find him slumped over in one of the beanbag chairs, only half-watching the movie that's being displayed on the moon's surface. Who could pay attention to a movie with this kind of view? ]

o3. wildcard.

[ Got something else in mind? Throw it at me, and I"ll be happy to oblige! ]

[governorkang]

SELF

[Near the food, friendly volunteers can be found manning a table covered in flyers and pamphlets for SELF, a non-profit organization specifically for helping non-humans to adapt to life on this world, answering questions to the best of their abilities and accepting the occasional donation. For the questions they can't answer, they are quick to hand out contact information.]

Arrival

[Kang tries his best to keep a neutral face during the woman's speech, but he can't help a few eye rolls at the many failed jokes. Once she's done, he shakes his head.]

I thought that'd never end.

Mingling

[Yeah, he's just going to avoid the Teamwork thing completely, especially after he sees what the activities are. Instead, he opts to go on a moon tour, eat some picnic food, and chat with anyone else not busy embarrassing themselves.]

Attack

[Kang is not surprised when the Swear-In is hijacked by someone looking to cause trouble. They've had too many go by without a hitch lately, after all.

As soon as he sees his chance, he reaches into one of his pouches for a component and whispers a quick invisibility spell, slipping away quietly. He's certain others managed to disappear as well, and he searches for them in between carefully taking out a few scarabs and getting a better idea of the situation.]

Fortunato Medeiros | OTA

[prayercycles]

1. MINGLE
[ Or, more accurately, a lack of mingling. Fortunato isn't participating in the team activities, for a number of reasons; he really doesn't want to be pushed into telling any secrets about himself, for one. That and he's not the social type.

This situation is strange and overwhelming enough, in any case. Primarily because he's on the moon. That's not nearly as strange as it would have been to him when he ported in a few months ago, but now that he's here, only really present because he knows a number of people who are, it's begun to unnerve him. It may just be something to get used to. Many people here have been on this base before, after all. But if you look over towards him, picking at his food at one of the tables, you might notice him looking around worriedly, as if he's waiting for something to go terribly wrong.

Otherwise, though, anyone who knows him will see he's in a fairly good state, all things considered. He's brought the absurdly fancy jaguar-themed cane Magnus made him (perhaps you'd like to comment on it?), but his vision is clear right now. For once, his name is actually appropriate. ]

2. TAKEOVER
[ Here's the thing: Fortunato's been kidnapped before. And locked up. Multiple times.

So he's certainly trying to escape before it happens again- and is frankly surprised to be succeeding thus far. His general paranoia had allowed him to notice something was going terribly wrong before many people did, and he hurried off just in time to escape the first few attacks from the scarabs.

That said, he's not expecting things to stay stable for long. He's hiding out in a secluded part of one of the lower floors of the Residential Dome, between some of the apartments. If you notice him- and don't immediately make it clear you want to do him harm- he'll look around frantically and gesture for you to hide yourself. ] Shh.

3. ATTACK
[ Another thing those who already know Fortunato might have noticed about him is he seems rather vulnerable, to most. It's to the point that he's become a bit worried about being seen as a burden.

Those who don't know him yet will not get that impression, because courtesy of at least one imPort who's come to help free the hostages and save the day, he's got weapons. A crossbow he sort of knows how to use, a knife he definitely does, and a sword that he...supposes he could improvise with. Thank God he can see (and he is doing that thanking, internally).

This isn't something he should be doing. He meant to keep somewhat of a cover in this world, just in case. But now? Here? He can tell he has no other options, and he knows people in danger that he feels he can't leave behind. So, while he's going to try to stay out of the direct fighting, he'll participate if needed- using the knife at any attackers who come close, aiming the crossbow at people being targeted. He's a young kid, so he may look like an easy target, but although he was never considered the best fighter when growing up, he's certainly more capable than the average citizen.

He's not aiming to kill. Far from it. He knew plenty of people, some of his brothers and sisters growing up, who would. But he was never the type. ]

4. AFTERMATH
[ If you're still around as the chaos begins to wind down, you might notice Fortunato hovering around at the side of the area. He's got some bandages someone brought up here, but he doesn't look like he's looking to fix up himself.

And whether or not he should be fixing himself up is...ambiguous. He's got a decent number of scratches and cuts that could certainly be interpreted as healed-over wounds, but something's off. Some of them merely look like the skin is discolored. Others- particularly a set of sizable gashes on his shoulder- aren't bleeding but are certainly red; there's an almost jelly-like sheen over them. If you're paying close attention to him, you'll notice the strangest one of all: there's a place on his arm that seems to have no wound at all, but blood keeps inexplicably pooling there, and he's trying to wipe it off with his hand. It's discomforting, if anything.

Nonetheless, though he seems totally exhausted, if you're injured, he'll tilt his head in your direction. There's a reason he picked up the bandages, after all. ] Uh- excuse me.

3

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Jacob, wielding a large and intimidating-looking tri-barreled ray gun, doesn't notice Fortunato at first. He's focused on the nearest Scarab host, who he immobilizes into serving as a sinister ice sculpture with a relatively harmless blast of a freeze ray before. Only then, scanning the area for more dangers, does he see-]

Fortunato?

[On Jacob's list of people he wouldn't expect to be carrying a crossbow with ease and confidence, Fortunato is pretty high up there.]

Sabriel

[bindsthedead]

Mingling

[The decorations might be silly and none of the food is really to her taste, but the setting makes up for all of that. Sabriel spends much of her time looking out the windows at the lunar landscape and the earth in the distance, feeling like a child presented with something strange and wonderful.

But she can't do that all the time, and she does want to meet people. So she tries to introduce herself to other imPorts.]

Are all swear-ins like this? I can hardly believe we're on the moon!

Trust Fall

Don't worry- I'll catch you. [She meant it. Whatever Sabriel felt about her arrival here, she wasn't petty enough to let someone fall down as a means of rebellion.]

Leading the blind

[Sabriel is outright clinging to her partner's hand, and probing the ground with her feet, trying her best to avoid whatever obstacle is coming up and fighting the temptation to rip her blindfold off.]

What's ahead of us now?

[This is definitely worse than the trust fall.]

Leading the blind

[jericoded]

Another tire, [Markus says, trying (not very hard) to hide the note of amusement in his voice. Maybe this'll get annoying in a bit but right now...like why did you sign up for this, lady?] Listen- Sabriel, right? I'm not going to let you run into anything. Trust me.

[fource]

1 - welcome to the party, pal:
[Quatre, wearing a dollar store party hat in an attempt to be a good sport, is staring at the ""space food"" table like he's expecting it to sprout legs and walk away from him. He even pokes the shrink-wrapped products like he's expecting them to flinch back.] Is this what they think people have to eat in this era...? [he wonders out loud, before tentatively breaking off a chunk of freeze-dried ice cream and crumbling it in between his fingers.] ...Do people have to eat this in this era?

[That one was an actual question, mild alarm in his voice. Apparently the space food market in this world is ripe for a complete overhaul! But he does slip a few of the worst offenders into his pockets, for posterity's sake.]

2 - teamwork makes the dream work
[Quatre is very pro-teamwork, and even though it's the off-brand moon plushie that catches his eye the most out of all of the prizes, he throws himself into the team-building with enthusiasm.

Trust falls are a little easier when you can feel your partner's emotions and get a head's up if they're having second thoughts, but it's not much help when it's Quatre's turn to do the catching. He's a 5'2 teenager in an argyle sweater and khakis and weighs no more than 90 pounds. He's also beaming with enthusiasm and does not seem to think there will be a problem. Overconfident or trustworthy?

Meanwhile, sharing private and intimate information is asking a lot for a poorly-funded teambuilding activity. Luckily he's prepared with such a quirky personal fact that he doubts anyone will call him out for erring on the shallow side of things:] Something important... Oh! I have twenty-nine sisters.

[He's earnest with his compliments. The same height and build restrictions could come into play with the get-along shirt, though he's surprisingly athletic if he's the one who ends up on the obstacle course. Eye contact could go well unless his partner starts to feel awkward (thanks again, empathy, now everyone feels awkward). Of all things in this competition it's the posters that he has a problem with; he keeps looking over at the ones with the lonely astronauts with a frown instead of pitching in for their own design.]

3 - come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs
[This is, sadly, not the first time that Quatre has been held hostage. When he's first approached, he holds his hands up after only a moment's pause and goes quietly; he has no weapons, no offensive abilities, and knows too little about what's controlling the hosts (and what sort of capabilities they have as a result) to do anything else. Besides, he's escaped more instances of captivity by playing along than by actively resisting. At first he sits quietly with the other hostages, and even looks almost distracted; he looks off into the distance, his brow furrowed like he's straining to hear something instead of paying attention to his surroundings, though that absent staring does manage to slowly, casually cover the entire room. Once the initial burst of activity settles down and they find themselves in the uncertainty of the stalemate, though, he snaps to alertness and starts quietly shifting around the room to chat.]

What do you have on you? [he murmurs, his hands folded in his lap and his eyes carefully tracking the hosts instead of looking at the next person that he's stopped to talk to.] I'm taking inventory.

4 - wildcard etc.
[Hit me up at spoilers for plotting or just throw something at me and we'll roll with it!]

2

[monster_san]

Twenty-nine?

[It's hard to shock Fuu. Or rather, it's hard to make Fuu appear to be shocked; she's quite good at reacting to the most extraordinary situations with a nonchalant smile. But surely, Quatre is pulling her leg...]

My goodness. And I thought sharing the bathroom with one sister in the mornings was a trial.

HARU OKUMURA | unsettled + OPEN

[girlybruiser]

A | MINGLE ( haru )

[ Haru had her reasons for avoiding the International Moon Research Base for a long period of time despite some inclination to visit one of these days. She was curious, but certain adventures in space (cognitive, but still) back home left her feeling a bit strangely about it all.

But she's had time now to reconsider it, thus she's here now. At some point when she isn't greeting familiar faces, she's parked herself by a large window to peer outside, observing the stars and Earth, admiring the real thing. ]

B | TEAMWORK COMPETITION ( haru )

[ Trust falls is a bit intimidating, with Haru glancing down at whomever her partner is supposed to be. She's only five feet and hardly a heavy girl, though she needs to be sure she isn't going to hit the floor without warning.

Compliment junction is much easier. Come get compliments from the lovely lady! She has many to give out. ]

C | ATTACK ( noir )

[ When disarray and violence breaks out, Haru is caught off guard, bewildered by the sudden onslaught. Survival instincts eventually kick in once she spots the scarabs on people's backs, digging into skin and horrifically altering their appearance into something more alien. She doesn't fully understand what's going on, but realizing there are people in danger, she comes down to the decision that she needs to do something, at least until more help arrives.

In the chaos, she's able to slip away unseen for a quick moment, reemerging as Noir, her axe in tow. When Scarab-infected hosts come near her, she swings to keep them at bay, but steps back anxiously, unsure if she can actually hit them. ]

W-wait, come to your senses, please!

MINGLE

[batburgers]

[Jason had wondered how Haru had been doing. She had been a nice kid and things kept going crazy, so he hadn't had the time to casually run into her, but he had kept tabs when he could while visiting Heropa now and then.

It's not a Bat thing, shut up.

But they both are in the same place at the same time, so he is walking around with what's left of his bag of popcorn from watching the moonscape movie and walks right up to her.]

Well, as I live and breathe.

[Don't mock his cheesy Southern accent. It's cheesy on purpose.]

mollymauk tealeaf | ota

[viciousmaukery]

pre-attack

[viciousmaukery]

[one: you're the inspiration]

[It's really weird for Molly, who's been a follower of the Moonweaver all his life, to find himself on a world that has one moon instead of two. It's even weirder that he's standing on that moon right now, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the world that he's been calling home for the past few months. He looks young as he stands near the deck nearest to the spinning globe called Earth, fingers resting on the glass.

Days like this are worth living for.

Then he spins around and walks back to the park. He makes a point to keep away from anyone who may be asking him about registration, like government employees, but he does find himself stopping at the posters and staring at them, assessing. There's a twist to his mouth that says he's not sure whether to laugh or cry.]

Well, [he says, finally, half to himself and half to inflict himself on some poor soul who happens to be near enough to start a conversation with,] I'd give them a point for trying. It's just—this is a party, right? It should be a bit more colorful than that.

[two: sharing is caring]

[Being paired up with someone is one thing. It's happened before, and Molly's okay with that.

Having to spill real details about his life to someone he's never even met before now? Not happening. He'll bullshit his way through this because he wants a prize, but he doesn't really want to hear anyone else's backstory today. Why would it all matter, anyway? They're in a completely different universe. Fuck's sake, they're on the fucking moon.

But he forces a smile, playing with his tarot cards as he and his partner take their seats. Might as well, he supposes.]

My father, [he begins, speaking as hesitantly as though he doesn't want to relive this memory that he literally just made up on the spot,] once tried to use me to pay off his debt to a very powerful family that lived in our town.

Georgia Mason

[choosetruth]

Swear-In

[Georgia was sworn in last month, but she's still consistently amazed by this place. If someone had told her two months ago that she'd be standing on the moon, she would have laughed. She still wants to laugh. Almost as much as she wants to cry.

She doesn't do either. She just stands, ignoring the terrible motivational posters, and stares out at the moon landscape.]

You'd be out there bouncing around in a stolen spacesuit by now, Shaun.

[It's muttered, not quite under her breath, but quietly. But Shaun's not here. She can feel his absence like a phantom ache in an absent limb. She rests her forehead against the glass and shuts her eyes under her sunglasses. She can almost imagine feeling his hand on her shoulder. Almost. She never has been good at lying to herself.]

Hostage Crisis

[Georgia wasn't taken easily. While she's not very practiced with her powers, she's stubborn, and it turns out just walking forward like no one can possibly get in your way is a surprisingly good strategy when it comes to superpowers. But she wasn't actually there to fight. She had questions. She wanted answers.

But it didn't last. Eventually, she ended up with the other hostages. Battered, bruised, but not beaten. Her brain still works, and that's always been her most reliable superpower. For her specific goals, at least.

She goes over to her fellow hostages, though carefully, not close enough to touch. She doesn't think she's got any blood on her, but until she gets under a black light and then bleaches all her clothing anyway, she won't be sure. People here don't know to be careful, so she has to be twice as careful for them.]

Do you have previous experience with these Reach? Or previous botched Swear-Ins? I hear this happens with some regularity.

[Oddly, this is the best she's felt since the start of the Swear-In, maybe even since she arrived here. When she's working, she doesn't need to think about what she's missing back home.]

hostage crisis

[notgood]

[Also a hostage, also a victim. Chauncy isn't bruised or beaten, he gave up rather quickly actually. Some might even consider it pathetically quickly even. But he isn't a fighter in this sense, not when up against brute force.

Talking, though. That's a nice thing to do, to take his mind off of what's going on.]

It does. I usually don't go to them because of that. But I thought this time- I'll give it a try! There's only so many people that can be up here, no one from OTO could possibly get up here, there's going to be free drinks... And now look. I'm never going to one of these again.

Tina Belcher | OTA

[continuousgroaning]

A. Swear-In

[Tina decides to gamely throw herself into this swear-in, even if it doesn't seem to be much of anything special; she puts on a party hat that just happens to be adored with off-model cartoon horses, takes the time to run around a little and flex her aching muscles and bones (growing is hard business).

She skips the tour in favor of mingling, wrinkling her nose at the offered space food, and watches the offered movie. And might cry a little at how beautiful the love story is.]


B. Trust

[Tina almost feels like she should apolgize to Nico when she sees the list of exercises they're to do.]

Uh... do... do any of these look like something you'd want to try? I mean, not that I think I'm going to be bad at them... heh... heh... everyone sure is watching us, too...


C. Attack + Captivity

[Tina is just considering leaving, having waited for the crowds around the Porter to disperse, when something odd happens. People keep bumping into her, and though she gets annoyed, none of them apologize or even seem to be aware of it.

Then, when the announcement goes off- especially the "If they continue to resist, start killing the other hostages" part, she freezes in place.

And groans.

And gasps in panic.

Tina first tries using her powers to walk through walls and through people to escape, but the Porter is understandably guarded- and she knows from previous experience that she has to be solid to activate it, anyway. She'd be a sitting duck.

As the night goes on, Tina finds corners to hide in, sometimes sobbing with fear as she thinks about her mom, and those she's left behind back home, other times trying desperately to find some way to escape. And finally, she manages to just... collapse on the floor and fall asleep, somehow.]

c

[fource]

[Poor Tina. Even without his abilities, it's clear she's terrified. The panic and fear of the hostages as a whole simmer in the back of his heart, but he can't afford to give into it yet. He kneels by Tina hiding in the corner, his hand absent-mindedly pressed against his chest.]

Don't worry, [he says quietly, with an encouraging and determined smile on his face.] We're going to find a way out of this. Tina, right? I'm Quatre. We've spoken on the network before.

Alphonse Elric | OTA

[sonofgold]

A. Swear-In

[Alphonse isn't quite sure what to do with himself here- he'd signed up to do a team-building exercise, but he's having trouble figuring out how to handle the rest. What did streamers and picnic food have to do with togetherness...?]

Is this really what people eat while in space? It's... weird.

[He can also be found admiring the breathtaking view, having never dreamed in his wildest dreams that he'd be up in space, looking back down on the earth. It was truly beautiful, and he wonders for a moment if he should move up here instead.]


B. Trust Exercises

[Al considers doing the trust exercises to be part of his duty as a peacemaker and diplomat with the Aegis Force, but he shies away a little at the prospect of trust falls, and smiles bashfully at his partner.]

I'm going to try my best not to drop you. My physical stength... well, it's not the best. Unless you don't mind me using my powers to cheat a little...?


C. Attack

[Al's immediately on alert when people begin behaving strangely, and once the announcement goes off, he finds a cranny to hide in and assess the situation. He has to take the time to look up what the lunar surface is composed of, but once he sees that there's plenty of iron, he's transmuted and armed himself with a sword and stuck a few short knives into his belt.]

Think... what should I do next? Fight off the attackers? Arm people so they can fight back themselves...?

C

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Suddenly Jacob slumps down near Al's cranny! He looks like shit! Lucina has just done a number on him, and he's breathing hard and struggling to stand.]

Al.

[He gasps, winces.]

We gotta get out of here. There's an airlock nearby. We can duck out, regroup further away.

Jacob Taylor | Registered | OTA

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

A - the Swear-In

Born and raised in space, Jacob has always enjoyed the Moon Base- indeed, he had a hand in its construction! So he's happy to see another Swear-In being held on Luna's surface. He'll be tackling the teamwork competition with Allura and anyone else
who wants to go for the gold with him - he wants that space suit! Aside from that, Jacob can be found eating space food and enjoying it more than anyone sane should enjoy freeze-dried ice cream (he's used to it), and gazing at the view of the Earth on the moon tours, while remarking to no one in particular:

"Incredible, isn't it? No matter how many times I've seen it, just never gets old."

You may notice that he's wearing his full combat armour and superhero gear to the Swear-In. It's just a routine precaution of course- the Moon Base is the one Porter location where no disasters have ever happened so far.

B - post-takeover

Okay, a disaster happened, and Jacob got his ass kicked trying to stop the Scarab takeover of the Moon Base, not to mention of his friends. He and whichever other escapees have joined him are hiding out, licking their wounds, and trying to get in contact with Earth and make a plan to retake the base.

Maybe you encounter him while he's hiding in a maintenance crawlspace, barely able to fit into the tight quarters with his thick armour. Or you may be part of the little refuge he and other have found in the Moon's shuttle bay, stowing away aboard a parked ship while hoping none of the Scarab patrols find you. Once you've adjusted to your close escape, maybe you'll help Jacob on scouting patrols to establish the reach of the... Reach's control over the Moon and help gather intelligence for the inevitable counter-attack.

Because one thing is for sure. Jacob is not going to let any villainous assholes stay in charge of Earth's Moon, especially not with hostages.

C -the inevitable counter-attack

See, it was inevitable! When the rescues and revolts begin, Jacob initially focuses his assault on the Porter room, trying to help retake their one connection to Earth and rescue or at least provide a distraction for anyone trying to come through from Earth-side. The fighting is fierce, with lasers criss-crossing the air and numerous enemies in force, and made all the more difficult from Jacob holding back against the Scarabs, who are after all hostages themselves. He limits himself to stun and freeze rays, and absorbs fire on himself using his protective energy barrier.

Once the Porter is retaken, Jacob focuses on guarding and guiding escapees taking this opportunity to haul ass back to Earth, giving them covering fire and distracting attacking Scarabs. He also helps in the final assault to retake the base, but is more concerned with freeing Scarab Hosts by subduing them or neutralizing their Scarabs than with pursuing the Negotiator himself.

D - aftermath

Standing battered and exhausted in the Porter room after the battle ends, Jacob looks more drained than triumphant despite the victory and the freeing of the hostages. There's still a lot to do- wounded to be healed, evidence to be collected, repairs to be made. But for now, all he can do is make the rounds of the people around him, checking to see if everyone is okay.

So much for the Moon not having disasters.

E

[Wildcard option for whatever you like!]

b, mental network text

[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya has never been proficient at typing mentally, but at least she got it to stop being green, and circumstances certainly behoove her not to be seen communicating with the outside. ]

Thou art not amongst the hostages Jacob Protector
What situation hath met thee
?

Chauncy Anderson | OTA

[notgood]

The Attack

[When shit starts to hit the fan, it really starts to hit the fan.

Chauncy's busy arranging on his plate a few slices of cured meats and cheeses along with some crackers to go with the champagne he's got in a nice little flute. It's not exactly the food of kings, and he knows David could cook much better than anything available up here, but he's going to try and give this Swear-In a chance.

Big mistake apparently, as he's about to sip from said flute when the whole station seems to come to a sudden jerk (and thus, the liquid in his glass winds up liquid on his shirt). ]

What the hell-

[Chauncy looks up, as if looking around for someone to blame for this specifically, and. Oh. There's blood. There's someone on the ground. There's panic-stricken faces.]

Oh.

[He looks nervously to the person next to him.]

We should leave. Now.

Hostage

[Not that leaving actually helped, because by that point, it was too late. The station was fully taken over by Negotiator, and soon enough, all the remaining ImPorts were being held hostage. Chauncy included, who gave up pretty quickly for someone who was supposedly an Import with superpowers. Now he sits in a small room, secluded lounge sort of area, thanking his stars he didn't get roughed up like some of the other ImPorts.]

We'll be fine. The others will save us, I'm sure. Or this Negotiator- he'll do a hostage exchange for something. Who knows. Maybe the moon? Seriously, his name is the Negotiator, he has to be open to negotiations...

Escape

[Whatever start of the rebellion against the Negotiator happened first, it wasn’t anywhere Chauncy was around to see it. It starts as a distant sound of fighting, loud banging in opposition to the oppressive silence that had happened during the night before.]

Did… anyone else hear that? That isn’t… the sound of a hole being punctured in the hull of this station… right?

[Not that he knows what that would sound like, his mind is just immediately jumping to worst case scenario.]

escape

[fource]

No, that's not what breaches sound like, [Quatre says automatically.] Even if the station's depressurization alarm was disabled, we'd still hear the air escaping.

[That's probably supposed to be encouraging? Either way, he glances around for any hosts before frowning off in the direction of the sounds.] From that way... let's go check it out.

[Apparently he, a tiny teen boy, has just decided to shanghai this nervous stranger into investigating the suspicious noise with him? He's certainly already moving in that direction, like he just assumes Chauncy will listen.]

Frederick Chilton --> ota --> cw self-harm references due to his power

[slightlyoffchilt]

Hostage Soirée

I'm not drunk enough for this. [Frederick Chilton, bestselling author and imPort psychiatrist, was most definitely drunk enough for this. He had invested at least an hour worth of drunk enough for this. Ever since having reclaimed his second kidney, in fact, he had resumed the practice of bringing a silver and mother-of-pearl flask around, and not simply to match the aesthetic of his self-punctuating knife.

Funny thing, persuasion powers. Or at least his persuasion powers, only activated by pain as they were. If he could only have a moment with the Negotiator, perhaps he could slice his hand and issue a command.

But he wasn't even in the fancy section for hostages, not by his estimation.]

Are you? Is anyone?

The Great Escape

So we can just leave, right? [Flask at his lips, he asked out of the corner of his mouth.] Anyone have teleportation abilities or... Something spatially useful? Before we all die a terribly overdone death in an airless vacuum.

[He had seen at least ten sci-fi movies where the same had happened.]

Unless someone wants to give him a helping hand with this knife?

let's hostage it up

[flightforfreedom]

Usually I'd say that hostage situations are best approached stone cold sober, but I'm gonna have to reevaluate my opinion for this one in particular.

[ Usually his captors weren't his friends taken over by weird bug alien robots. ]

Definitely not drunk enough for this.

Circe | OTA

[pharmaka]

[ Circe had not been able to resist the temptation. Curiosity and impulse do always get her into trouble, but visiting the moon she simply can't pass up. Never would she have been allowed this privilege, even were it possible, back home: her aunt Selene has shunned her like all the rest. At best, she expects that she spies on her from the sky while Circe roams the hills and shores of Aiaia harvesting plants, and whether Selene passes this information back to her father Helios, she has never learned.

So, she goes to the moon, wishing sorely she could show Daedalus these wonders, but enjoying them with overwhelmed fascination nonetheless. Circe is a woman of average height with the build of a laborer, her red-brown hair in no-nonsense braids pinned to her head. She wears a hand-woven chiton and shawl, respectively rust brown and emerald, that she had made and dyed herself. She wears no embroidery or jewelry to speak of. Apart from her anachronistic dress, her gold-light eyes and lilting, odd accent are the only other standout things about her. ]

A. MINGLING & TEAM-BUILDING

[ Circe wanders with clear fascination, holding a plate of simple meats, cheeses, and uncooked fruits and vegetables that she shows equal fascination to. The concept is familiar, but the actual foods are subtly, or not subtly, different to her palate. She makes a half-hearted, wary attempt at the team-building exercises.

For sharing is caring, she offers, ] I have a lioness for a companion whom I miss greatly. [ This is carefully calculated. It is in fact a personal detail, but it covers up any possible perceived weakness with the implication that she is friend to dangerous animals. Which she is, just not at this exact moment, in this place.

For compliment junction, it takes a bit longer, and she is likely to look in contemplation at her partner before saying anything. Circe is not one for empty praise. ]

B. HOSTAGES

[ Circe is not a loud person. She does not believe in calling attention to herself, ruining what little advantage she has with her witchcraft. She needs the element of surprise to do most anything effectively, and she's loathe to relinquish it. As such, she's already registered, and in the same spirit she cooperates with the instructions as soon as they are given. She is a complacent, aloof hostage, affecting as best she can the look she'd seen her sister Pasiphaë give to her servants. Unaffected and uncaring.

In truth, she is afraid. The fear that sends her heart racing eventually slows as she realizes there is little more than basic violence being threatened here, and Circe has no fear of mortals and their weapons, though she knows they may kill her. She fears greater things. After a time of being quiet and biddable, she retreats to the thick of the crowded hostages, using others' bodies to shield her from easy view, and opens the plain bag tied at her waist beneath her shawl.

Out come basic glass vials and small woven sachets filled with herbs, rocks, dried animal parts, and other myriad things she has picked up, which she begins to inspect carefully. ]

A

[a_good]

[Even if Norman didn't make a point of it to attend all the swear-ins simply for whatever information there is to be had, he'd never pass up one on the moon. It's stunning - from the view to the architecture and systems developed to keep life safe. He wanders around curiously, a light-haired boy in a green button-up shirt with dark blue sweater and slacks.

The exercises are...less interesting. Wouldn't it be better to play actual games with people? Still, no way to meet allies can ever hurt. And it does start being interesting when the woman he's been paired with shares that fact.]

A lioness?

[He's learned a perhaps surprising amount about pets and service animals since arriving, but that one is definitely unexpected.]

REX | OTA | FIGHTING BACK

[ct_7567]

o1. the kitchen. under cover.

[ When things came to blows, Rex was quick to get into his armour and find cover, if not only in order to survive and bide his time long enough to figure out a plan of action. As much as he likes to run into the fray, blasters firing, this is a more complicated situation than most: those fighting back are clearly victims of their own bodies, and there are hostages in the equation. Oh, to be able to fight a real battle.

He's knocked over one of the large preparation tables in the kitchen and is crouched behind it, a blaster in each hand as he peers over it at the oncoming hosts. He notices a laser being fired at them just in time to grab onto the head of the person beside him and shoves them down without fanfare, ducking himself as the laser whizzes past them. ]

Get down!

o2. the moonbase. pressing forward.

[ Once he's got his bearings, Rex moves forward. He's only got one thing in mind, and that's taking down enough of the hosts in order to save the hostages. As he trudges through the moonbase, you might see him leap at one of the hosts, kicking them in the back and bearing down upon them with his elbow before jabbing his blaster into one of the exposed bits of skin and firing a subduing blast. The host underneath him twitches and spasms with the force of electricity being sent through its body. He only hopes that that's enough.

Or, perhaps, you meet up with him at the entrance of the porter room, taking measure of all of the guards lying in wait. ] Well, we're not brute forcing this one.

o2. LET'S GET THEM

[photophobic]

[ In all honesty? Kylo is living right now. He's been itching for an excuse to do what he does best for what feels like months, and what better excuse could there possibly be than this?

He tears his way through the facility with a ferocity that suggests almost being lost in the frenzy, but a careful eye will note he's putting a fair amount of effort into avoiding outright lethal attacks– a host is hurled into a wall, another has the scarab sliced cleanly away from the host's body with a crackling arc of his lightsaber– but with rare exception there's very, very little dismemberment going on. Just a little.

He seizes a scarabed host stalking up on Rex from behind... grabs it by the arm to twist it around and... slams it right in the face with the hilt of his lightsaber, upon which the unfortunate individual falls backwards... onto his knee. It feels amazing. As the host crumples on the floor he pins it there with a heavy-booted foot and hacks the scarab off, looking up at Rex once he's finished. ]

At least twenty more behind that wall. Are you ready.

SABRINA SPELLMAN | unsettled + OPEN

[melodramagic]

A | MINGLING

[ There's a new face among the crowd, one that is evidently both puzzled by events and maybe even a bit lost as she meanders around the base, trying so hard to ingest her new surroundings and all the information many have expounded on to her since her arrival.

Sabrina doesn't fully understand why she allowed herself to show up at this Swear-In, but once she had been told it was to take place on the moon, well, curiosity killed the cat. She had to see for herself if such a thing was possible. And clearly, it is, as she stops by windows looking out into the dark vacuum of space multiple times to stare at the Earth in the distance. It's strange that she's long accepted witchcraft, demons, ghosts and the like, but mortals building a fully functional base in space? That's some big budget Hollywood production right here. The things she's witnessed so far are like something out of an overactive child's imagination. Or a comic book, like one of Harvey's.

At the food table, Sabrina tries the spinach that she struggles to get out of its plastic packaging. She is hungry... but she regrets it quickly, as it gets halfway down her mouth and she chokes, disgusted by its taste. Ushering over to a corner so that she isn't vomiting food on anyone, she leans against a wall and spits out the spinach.

The teamwork competition draws her close, isn't enough to make her want to actively participate. Maybe someone will want to change her mind. ]

B | ATTACK

[ She should have known this was all bound to go awry.

At first Sabrina finds it hard to believe the announcement. It sounds like something straight from a B horror movie, more amusing than anything, until she notices the panic it incites on the faces around her. Others seem to go on the defense, as if they've experienced this before. Sabrina, being new, is completely unprepared for what comes next.

And as she watches several people near her twitch and contort in inhuman ways, something terrifying erupting from their bodies and enveloping them. She can smell the blood, freshly torn flesh, her stomach lurching at the scent.

She should run, but she's frozen in place as the infected scarab hosts begin their assault, one of them grabbing at her and dragging her down onto the floor. She struggles, kicking wildly, but she's easily overpowered. ]

Help! Help me, somebody!

[ There's a shrill scream. ]


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b

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel's initially stunned- but on hearing someone screaming she moves quickly, reaching for the Charter and drawing out marks for a spell designed to incapacitate, rather than kill. Whatever's happened to these people hasn't killed them- so perhaps there's some way to return them to normal. She traces out the marks of the spell, Charter symbols twisting and expanding, weaving themselves into a net and wrapping themselves around the host that's attacking Sabrina as Sabriel does her best to get Sabrina away.]

I'm here! Come on we need to get to the Porter.

[Some part of Sabriel wants to stay and fight, but getting people to safety needs to come first.]