“It’s loud,” Ivory complained, watching with narrowed eyes as Nataniel and Basyl were swallowed up by the crowd and flashing lights of the dance room beyond. And look, he didn’t really care about loud, and he didn’t necessarily dislike new things, but there was a great moshing throng just inside. The noise, the flashing, the commotion- it didn’t make him anxious. It filled him with a sort of… anticipation, somehow. Like henhouse going and do something- he didn’t know what.
He hooked scraggled nails into Tanwyn’s sleeve and tugged, still peering inside as he admitted in a huff, “I don’t know what to do.”
He didn’t know what to do, but it did feel like he was supposed to do something, and Tanwyn was a good speaker of wisdom and knowledge, even if he was less than Cala Ivory was. Subordinates were supposed to offer nuggets of suggestion, and the least he could do was- Was… Ivory didn’t know- Just be useful to him somehow in this weird situation!
Cala might be upset with so many people and flashing lights around… But Ivory didn’t want to wait out here and do nothing, while Nat and Basyl were in there.
(I’ll come back for Basyl when I’m not rushing, sorry Indi. <3)
“I’m sorry, I don’t presume to know your situation. But maybe choose one or two people you trust and keep your circle small for now. Focus on fostering those relationships if you think they’re worth holding onto.” Phedre wasn’t a therapist and wasn’t sure what other suggestions she could offer since it seemed that other than bringing the non-alcoholic drink, anything she said was just making matters worse.
If she were powered up as Meridiana, she was certain that she could help Kayden feel better, but dressed as she was and acting as a volunteer here for the Negaverse, Phedre had to maintain some level of professionalism.
“Ah,” almost drowned under the roil of music coming from the doors ahead. The way Ivory was, his hesitance was unsurprising. Not because Tanwyn thought he wouldn’t catch enjoyment from it, more because he might get too much from it. Too uninhibited. Too much abandon. He’d see those people flailing and writhing, and it’d probably invite some unintentional violence from him.
No. Best to keep him out this time. Start with something less significant. Try again later.
“Iv, you’re doing great.” His hands cupped the other’s cheeks, gently pulling him forward. “Let’s wait a bit. See if there’s anything out here for us to finish up, and we’ll meet back with Nat and Basyl in a few minutes. Just a few minutes, yeah?”
Would you be at all interested in hanging out some time after this? I could always use new friends, and you seem as though you have the right makings of one."
Kayden's smile grew a bit softer, a bit more real. "It could be fun, and clearly...we're in the same circles so that won't be any kind of a problem. And they could make their own mixed drinks. Watch movies. Have fun. Alcohol free, of course. "What do you say? Are you free tonight after your shift?"
“I’ll only have about an hour, but we can meet up after this.” While they walked through the lounge, Phedre swapped the last few fresh glowsticks she had for ones that had turned grey.
Time was difficult for her to come by these days between 50-60 hour work weeks, going on patrol when able, and spending at least two evenings caring for her Grandfather so that he had family around and to give the assisted living nurses a break.
“There’s a late-night cafe we can go to and talk for a bit.” Perhaps by then the alcohol might have worked it's way out of Kayden's system and she might feel better to be in a calmer atmosphere.
Waru had been listening to Baz empathetically, his eyes riveted to the blond, his heart all over his face, and hair, and everywhere! Messy. So ******** messy. But Baz was gentle, sweet balm of assuredness when Waru was so sure he didn't deserve any. Nice. Actually nice! He'd never felt like he'd owed the corrupt more, leaping steadfastly over the kind of lines he never drew in anything other n'sand anyways. ******** being a good boss when he would've rather been a better friend---
Or at least less messy....
He appreciated it though, Baz giving him a pass as he floundered for ways to explain what he'd never been able to do anything other n'show! He knew there was a word for it, maybe? Or maybe it was unique to him n his own? Or maybe it was so taboo that no words existed in language for it -- just -- howling noises and feelings!
"Me n Aelius are just--- we're just friends--- only friends. I think? I'd ******** if I know now. But I worked hard for that, t'get to here, and push him t'be part of the team, and-- to just ********' love himself a little more, yeah? Then I go and...." pissed on it, went unspoken, hung in the air obviously. He didn't like what he'd said, that he'd twisted the knife of it at the end like some petulant little kid before storming off. He wondered if he'd really wanted Aelius happy at the mans own expense of himself? All the work n budding friendship, just to shove it off the second someone who held his heart showed up. The way it'd never been like that with the others--- *but he wasn't married to the rest.* He told himself no more rings, every day, constantly. Hadn't even expected the first let alone the second one!
"If poly is the word? Or--really, really, really complicated. That -- that feels correct, yeah? Sept with everyone else it seems easy....separately...together...we're all agreed on our own things n with who and who not. But maybe I didn't think about...I didn't consider how Aelius or Ren would feel, I think?" He blew out a calming breath, inhaled another, wishing it'd be easier to explain. Maybe when he was less frustrated and could do more than chop his own thoughts into pieces.
Maybe then---
But Baz was getting his attention back, steady tone, encouraging him to derail his train elsewhere. It was so hard to meet Baz's gaze, but he did it, let the boy hold his own as he poured kindness all over the situation like a thick, syrupy glaze.
"You're too sweet-- you know that? Th'hell'd I get lucky enough t'have you.." because he needed Baz to hear it, because he needed to say it while holding the other mans eyes and wiping his own stupid face clean. Scrubbing the meat of his palms messily under shadowed eyes just in case. "N'you're right, did you know that? You are. And -- if I maybe feel I was a little selfish, even just for a second....there's nothing that says I can't apologize for it later, right? Just in case I was the offending party. Or--the party who didn't wanna defend anyone--n' if I hadn't escalated things..." A tighter little sigh that followed as he tried to keep the slowly untangling mess from cinching back up tight like a noose around his heart again.
And then somebody was touching him---
The immediate snarl that caught his features, twisted them ugly with bared teeth and narrowed eyes; the reaction of a man caught off guard and unawares. Of startelement that bled angry and then waned back like a tide as he blinked the person who'd touched him into view. If the finger had been attached to anyone else?
To a stranger who'd ******** dared---
But it wasn't a stranger at all, was it? There was a manner of trepidation for that, of unsteadiness, but as his lips fell closed around a flash of warning, whites. All his ruffledness smoothed out, Waru picked up on the suggestion in that baritone bass. On the suggestion in Baz's high, encouraging champions pitch.
"You're so ********' lucky I happen t'kinda like the person this's attached to Adam-" And more importantly? What those fingers could do. Not worth saying aloud, not when he could say it with his eyes instead, all his questions internal as his gaze traced the length of that arm to the smug face, glinting, hard eyes at the end of it. Catching words that made him almost smile, if only for knowing he and Adam were somehow both in the same boat? Thoughts running the same line -- even if the man looked far less externally anguished than Waru himself felt all over and deep down inside.
He wondered what the story behind that one was. If it was just a full moon tonight? That he and the other man had both struck out doubly-so. That Adam had shown up just in time to hear enough and offer; sIlverware and silver platters and something that reminded Waru of velvet, woodsmoke, and spice. A person who he didn't need to be nice too. Didn't even have to try, the way that was mutual across the board for this one specific interaction.
"Y'think so? Huhn..." Tossing Baz an apologetic look, he was so, so, sorry, for everything. More complex than any one person deserved to deal with. "Alright---alright--you two've got a point. Maybe I should let 'em both be and we all cool down. I won't do any good trying to talk to fix things like this..." he finally did gently move aside Adams poignant finger, freeing himself in a move while shaking off the attention grabbing touch. "And I do know how to call you if I need you Baz, always. You are one of my best boys, afterall."
Being called boss made him warm, made him smile, finally, a faint little glimmer of a slowly pieced together thing as he moved away from keeping his back against the tanks.
"Promise you'll get home safe t'night, and if anything goes southways? That call n return is mutual." Squeezing Baz's shoulder gently as he shifted past the blond and wished him the best night he could hope the man to have. Cocking a look over his shoulder in Adams direction. "C'mon Adam--I didn't drive here n'so I'm not driving back, kay? I think m'done with this club for now."
Seiana
Adam?
amorremanet
Look at all these fishes
Strickenized
For Faustites Pleasure
Shiningamisgirl
Ruthless Consumer
Offline
The Space Cauldron
Captain
Offline
Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 3:09 pm
Dice Rolling for Negaverse Characters is now over! If you have not filled out your rolls as of right now, they will not be tallied. All posts with dice rolls must have 100 words to count towards the game. This ORP will have a hard close on Sunday the 22nd, at about 6PM EST. At that point in time, the rewards will be announced and the thread will be locked for new posts. If you were roleplaying and would like to continue roleplaying your characters at Biolumina on opening night, you can start a new roleplay that can serve as a continuation. More information will be provided at the close of the ORP, but you can also use the next two days as time to wind down or meet word count for growth requirements if you haven’t already!
Situations just get tangled, feelings just get high, and people just get hurt anyway, even if that wasn't wanted.
Perhaps, there could be a way to change the tone.
Baz's agreement seemed to help Waru's ease, but what seemed to help even more was the way Waru quite easily realized what Adam was putting down. Lucky, or perhaps simply good at reading a situation? Adam bit the inside of his lip as Waru looked up his arm, his gaze growing more intense. Perhaps he could have looked through him if he tried. Perhaps he could have read into what Waru needed.
He settled easily as Waru moved his arm. Of course he had a point--which in this case, so did Baz. Good. Leave the others to settle whatever their feelings were. Adam had people to do.
To Baz, he offered, "If he needs you, I'll send my address to your tablet." With a respectful nod of goodbye, he turned his entire attention to Waru. "I agree. Believe I've given this place enough extra baby work." He certainly was not feeling this lighter energy drawing. "My sports car is in the lot. You've seen it. Let's go."
The night was being late and the dance floor was starting to get noticeably thinner. People were dropping like flies now and Aelius couldn't help but wonder how lucrative the mission turned out to be. His own back pocket bulged with gathered 'dead' glowsticks.
Seeing how quiet it was getting and his mood hadn't improved, Aelius decided to call it. Slipping pay a woman who stem noted to wrap her arms around his waist, the young man made a hasty get away.
“Ooh, smart,” said Misty, reaching for the probiotic that Michelangelo was offering. “I saw someone talking about this on a sponsored YouTube thing.” Had she thought it sounded like a good idea at the time? She had! Had she been organized enough to order some for herself or to remember to bring it before nights like this? Absolutely not.
She wasted no time testing Michelangelo’s, though. She downed it, and then half of her real drink right behind.
“Mmm, this is actually pretty good,” she said. She was the kind of girl who had no problem with cheap beer, but the fancy stuff like this was always a little better. “Has some kind of raspberry thing going on, I think? You’ll like it, Sadie.”
Her sibling like fruity flavors. She knew that.
“Now it’s time to go have some fun, right?” She glanced towards the dance floor.
“You have fun,” Sadie murmured. She was slow to uncap and drink Michel’s offering, even slower to take an experimental sip of the drink itself. It was good. Misty hadn’t been wrong about that. Sadie found herself holding the cup close to her, rhythmically tapping her fingers on the glass.
“I’ll be okay here with this, I think.” She could settle into her more familiar position by the sidelines, watching everything around her pass by, sipping at something that tasted like sugar and fruit with a bite of alcoholic sourness.
The headphones were helping with keeping the music from making her dizzy or overwhelmed, but it was still bright here. There were still a lot of people. She could still feel the tiredness creeping in as the light from her glowstick began to fade.
Though Aiden had laughed to himself at Celeste’s recollection of a young Charlie, he didn’t think anything less of her. He raised a hand to bid Celeste goodbye but she was gone before he could promise he’d keep an eye on Charlie.
Was it a date? He didn’t much care for what it was called, but if that was an attempt to tease, it was lost on him.
He turned to Charlie and smiled. “Don’t be sad. We can get more glowsticks after the party. Or sneak some more while she’s not looking.”
Although, with Celeste insisting that AIden keep an eye on Charlie, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to get another glow stick if it would summon her back.
“You know, she did have a good idea. I didn’t even realize they had glowing drinks at the bar. Come on, I’ll get you one.”
Liánlí laughed good-naturedly at Ryla’s comment about all the alcohol he might have drunk, had they gone up to the bar.
Not that he could entirely imagine what it was like for someone who’d actually survived for a thousand years and then some, but the concept of going without something you enjoyed for so long, then suddenly having access to it? That much made sense to him, even if Ryla’s experience of it was likely magnified by a considerable margin.
“The aquarium might be really fun to check out,” Liánlí started.
But he cut himself off with a soft “Oh!” when somebody crashed right into poor Ryla.
At least the guy seemed polite, giving Ryla a little smile and apologizing pretty much immediately for the accident. With that silver-white ponytail and the ripped, tight black jeans, he looked quite nice. Honestly, if he and Ryla wanted to beg off to a private room for a little while, the staff here might not have appreciated it very much, but Liánlí wouldn’t have blamed Ryla any. (If Liánlí had tried, he wouldn’t have had any real leg to stand on, considering what using a blacklight around the house might have revealed about himself and Huanxi.)
Giving the Mystery Guy a warm smile in return, Liánlí said, “Yeah, my zhiyin didn’t think so, either—er.” The smile shifted into an apologetic grin. “Sorry, uh. My partner, might make more sense? Sometimes, I forget not everyone understands the word I use for him more often.” A soft laugh, all still good-natured and pleasant, because this was going to be a fun night. Ryla deserved to have some fun, after everything he’d gone through before getting to Earth. “He doesn’t really like night-club kinds of spaces to begin with, though, especially not when they’re packed full with an opening night kinda crowd. Hence it being me and my friend here tonight.”
With a little wave “hi,” he added, “Nice to meet you, I’m Liánlí” but left the floor open for Ryla to introduce himself.
Ryla wasn't exactly surprised to feel someone bump into him. These kinds of places--they were always crowded. You'd end up brushing a few shoulders no matter how careful you were, with people moving and dancing and going from place to place. It was just the way of things. So he'd been prepared for more touching that he'd been used to for a very long time, because that was an accepted consequence of being in a place with so many people.
What he wasn't prepared for was the man who bumped into him. Tall, handsome, with white hair (a moment of ache in Ryla's chest, before he mentally shoved aside memories that had no place here) and a playful smile.
Ryla had been married, once. He had loved Bernard with his entire heart, and grieved with all of it too, for a thousand years. Still grieved, if he was honest, which he preferred not to be. Boxing off those feelings was much easier than acknowledging the rushing tide. And after all that, he wasn't sure there was room in his heart to love again. Not romantically, at least.
But meeting a beautiful man in a dancing establishment wasn't about love. It didn't even really have to be about liking someone, other than tolerating their presence long enough to have a good time. And there was a tiny part of Ryla, the part that was desperate to make his survival for the last thousand years mean something, anything at all, that felt like perhaps, after all this time, he deserved a good time.
Thank the gods Lianli had decided to...."wingman," Ryla was pretty sure the term was? By immediately clarifying that they were not a couple, and therefore Ryla was free to mingle.
"I like the energy of the crowd, but it being so cramped can be a problem." Ryla put on his best, most charming smile, and hoped that he still knew how to flirt after so long. "Though maybe not so much of one, if it brought us together. I'm Ryla. Pleasure to meet you. My friend and I were going to see the aquarium--would you like to join us?"
Oh, Ryla really, really hoped the answer was yes.
amorremanet
lianli~
genovianprince
evren~
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 4:29 pm
Biolumina had been, by all accounts, a success. Even with the free entry, the Negaverse could mark it as profitable thanks to the hard work of the lounge and kitchen staff.
More than finances, they were rich with energy.
This was the final test for the Negaverse’s new energy draining objects–and they had far exceeded expectations.
Biolumina closed to the public a little after midnight, but the General Sovereigns had been busy processing the gathered glow sticks throughout the evening.
Queen Laurelite in particular was eager to share their conclusion and report on it.
She sent out a message to all members of the Negaverse to thank them for their efforts. They were moving forward with the production of their energy gathering items.
Celebrate now, while they had the chance.
There was a lot of work to do.
Quote:
This ORP is closed for all new posts! If you would like to continue roleplaying your character at Biolumina on opening night before it closed, you can start a new roleplay that can serve as a continuation.
Congratulations, Negaverse! You now have access to energy draining objects!
Quote:
Energy Draining Objects
While the Negaverse can most effectively gather energy by patrolling, they can also infuse certain everyday items with crushed chaos crystals to passively drain energy from those around it. Energy draining objects can be made by a Mauvian or any third stage character but they can be distributed to any member of the Negaverse to use or maintain. However, they can be dangerous to handle so anyone using these will need to be cautious. ICly, characters will need permission to create and use Energy Draining Objects, and OOCly a form must be submitted to the mule to introduce one. These can be one time use items or have a more permanent design.
Creating an Energy Draining Object
The blueprint to create an energy draining item has been provided by Commodore Lyndin. Through the technology he’s provided, there have been major advancements in the ability to harness energy, allowing the Negaverse to rely heavily on draining energy rather than pulling starseeds. Not only has he manufactured a way to amplify the strength of the energy that has been gathered by agents, he has also been at the forefront of helping the Negaverse construct energy draining items as well.
A unique strain of crystal that grows in the Rift has reactive properties. It is powerful enough that it can steadily drain energy from living beings even when extracted from its natural environment. It can also be grown in a lab environment, allowing it to be replicated indefinitely. Crystals can be ground into a fine powder and infused into different objects.
Creating the perfect crystals is a process, and scientifically inclined members of the Negaverse may be put in charge of helping grow high grade crystals to be used in Energy Draining Object Development. ICly, only Mauvians and third stage characters and higher have the ability to actually infuse the crystals into an object, but any character can submit a request to have one made. It is unlikely that a first stage character would be trusted to carry out a mission or plan that utilizes these items due to their inexperience in the Negaverse, but a second stage character or higher could be approved to create and distribute these items.
OOCly, a player will need to submit the following form and PM it to The Space Cauldron to make an energy draining item:
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Character Requesting the Item: (Please include their rank and link to their journal) Item Description: (What does this item look like? It should be something that can be easily transported to and from the Dark Kingdom to harvest and extract gathered energy. It should be something that can be easily tracked and recovered.) Item Usage: (What is the intended purpose of this item? How many items do you need? Where will the item be used? Please just include a general idea of what to expect with these items)
Using an Energy Draining Object
When handled, these objects will drain energy from every living being around it, including plants, animals, and people. While the energy it can actually absorb from plants and animals is negligible, plants will still wither and animals will still become fatigued. These crystals are incapable of killing anyone but they can still bring someone to exhaustion. The more living creatures within range of the object, the less of an effect they may feel. The Energy Draining Object can only gather as much energy as it can hold; once it is at max capacity, it may continue to drain energy but the excess will be lost to both the object and the target.
An item will drain the most energy when it is making direct contact with skin, however some items can drain up to ten feet away. Energy Draining Items will gather energy continuously so they must be carefully monitored. When an item is full, or nearly full, it will have a very faint energy signature that can be picked up by Negaverse characters. However, if left unattended for too long, the energy signature will grow strong enough for Order characters to detect it. These items must be carefully monitored to ensure the safety and security of the mission.
Some simple ideas for Energy Draining Objects might be:
Silverware, which will be handled directly by a small group of people over a short period of time. This allows for direct energy gathering without much time to detect any issues and which can be easily collected and returned for reuse
Lightbulbs in a lobby, which can passively gather energy from a large crowd of constantly moving people over a long period of time. Because of the transient nature of lobbies, the energy will be collected in very small quantities as people pass through, but with a large pool by which to gather from. When a lightbulb is full, it can be easily collected and replaced without an issue.
Books from the library, which will be in the possession of one person and taken to their home where it can drain directly while they are reading it, or passively by being in their vicinity. This item is somewhat more dangerous as an Energy Draining Object because it requires a guarantee that the renter will return the book before it can gather enough energy to be detected.
The television remote of a hotel room, which will be handled or in close vicinity of a small group of people. It will remain in the room so can be observed and collected by Negaverse staff. It can be strong enough to drain someone to unconsciousness and gather large quantities of energy from them because of its inconspicuous location in a hotel room. Though it can drain someone to unconsciousness, it will not be so strong as to require hospitalization; they will simply wake up the next morning feeling exhausted and fatigued.
Items that are too large and cannot be transported to the Dark Kingdom to collect the energy cannot be used. For example, a car could not be crafted into an Energy Draining Object (but the keys could be).
Players (and characters) will need to have a solid plan for how they will keep track of these items and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Some items can be made to have a short life span and some can be made to last for a long time. However, characters should also plan for how to use the item with the least amount of risk to themselves. Because the Energy Draining Objects will absorb energy indiscriminately, they must be able to step away to prevent harm from coming to themselves or their plans. If an item is going to be strong enough to knock someone unconscious it should be in a reasonable environment to do so.
While these items are effective at discretely and passively collecting energy, they do have some drawbacks:
Energy draining objects will gather energy indiscriminately; they can drain from unpowered Negaverse agents because of their inability to distinguish between targets. Anyone handling these objects must do so with great caution; they often require being in civilian form to collect, so anyone utilizing these must be prepared and expect to lose some energy while handling. This can be especially dangerous when handling large numbers of them, as each item will drain energy indiscriminately and independently of those around it. They will not drain from any powered Negaverse character. However, the Negaverse can also create small accessories that can provide protection from energy draining objects. These are often pins or other small articles of jewelry that must be worn when around a known energy draining object. These items are difficult to create and will typically only be made to have a lifespan that will last a little longer than the mission. However, with a solid proposal, the Negaverse can make long term wards, but these will only protect against the energy draining items the agent is assigned to work with; they must be calibrated to each unique energy draining object to work. These items cannot tell when a target is nearly depleted of energy. While they cannot drain a target to death, they can drain them to unconsciousness. It is strongly advised that targets not be permitted to get to this point, as this will begin to look suspicious. Not every item can be infused with chaos crystals. Typically, the item should be something nondescript and easy to handle. It should be something that doesn’t stick out in any suspicious manner, and it should be something that can reasonably be retrieved. The only way to collect gathered energy is by taking it to a processor in the Dark Kingdom. Once an item has gathered sufficient energy, it should be taken to the processing center, where the energy can be harvested. This is not a complicated process and typically only requires the item to be deposited in a bin, which will then be slotted into a machine that will extract the energy and store it in a large, permanent crystal fixture in the room. The machine will print out a receipt that can log how much energy was gathered and return the refreshed item. The process typically only takes a few seconds at a time but can take longer if many items are being harvested at the same time. Over time, the crystals infused into an item will begin to lose strength. An item can be fused with more crystals to replenish it, or the item may be replaced entirely.
Biolumina has also been added to the Destiny City Guidebook as a permanent feature. All Negaverse agents will be allowed to keep the starfish pin given out tonight to protect them against the energy draining objects at Biolumina; if a character was unable to participate tonight, they can pick one up in the Dark Kingdom. These pins will only protect against the energy draining objects at Biolumina and will recharge during visits to the Dark Kingdom. New members of the Negaverse can pick one up at any point in time! If a character purifies it will simply become memorabilia; they will not remember what the pin means and it will lose its ability to protect them from energy draining objects.
Any Negaverse character who participated and wrote at least 500 words is eligible to earn a new medal! If a character was not able to participate in this event, they can still earn this medal by doing a plot that incorporates an energy draining object.
Medal of Innovation:
Awarded when a character utilizes an energy draining object in a mission for the first time.
The following characters had 500 words and participated in the ORP so are eligible for the Medal of Innovation! Iif you wrote 500 words for a Negaverse character who was gathering energy and are not on this list, please let us know. We might have just missed adding them to the quote wall!
Negaverse characters who rolled 5 times and wrote at least 100 words across each post were also eligible to win the Champion Collector medal! There was a three way tie for the highest rolls (40), so the Champion Collector Medal has been awarded to:
stari_maga
Jadarite
EchosSweet
Calaverite
Kyuseisha no Hikari
Lopezite
Please make sure to update your medals into your Negaverse character’s Medal log as soon as possible!
