Hokum

ASPECT

and the journey begins

Diddly Do

@Doc Doctor

The thing about Quatis babies is that they are very different to babies of other species. There’s a reason why the nursery wasn’t under guarded protection from strangers; it’s because no one would be game enough to try and steal one. Fact is, the mother is the only person a Quatis infant would let get near them. Of course, Quatis babies do shed their extendable claws and serrated teeth at about one year of age, which is about the time they lose their inhuman speed and flexibility that nature had provided for the purpose of preservation at such a tender age. But the babies Donny abducted are much younger than that. Sure, they may seem at first to be gentle little bundles of joy, but as the babies bundled in Donny's arms wake from their sleep and realize they were in the company of a stranger, Donny is met by a nasty surprise.

The baby’s nails extend forth as they turn on their abductor in a blur of movement that Donny would not have been prepared for. In an instant, one of the babies has scrambled high, sinking its serrated teeth into Donny’s throat, while another is gnashing at the back of Donny’s neck, and the rest of them are attacking his other extremities in a savage, frenzied display of ferocity.

---

@Quote5

“Long story short,” Fanny replied to Ernest, “Some knucklehead decided to play with technology he knows nothing about and now my Universe is all messed up (yes, she said 'My Universe'). Just so happens that said knucklehead is occupying a vessel in the star system you’re approaching. We’re going on in to teach that pothead a lesson in ethics.”

Ernest soon receives a reply from the Quatis communications officer as well, saying:

“As you were, Ernest. Just be certain to use caution on entering this system, we are now under attack from unknown forces. Out.”

When Ernest arrives within scanning range of the system, he finds numerous space ships from various worlds, all huddled there as if there was some type of alien convention taking place. Fanny then asks Ernest to approach the small vessel in orbit of one of planets. That would be the vessel the knucklehead was aboard.

Ernest receives an update in his communications manifold, alerting him of what frequency to use to contact the alien vessel. No doubt this data was put there by Fanny, who is climbing down off the elephant while saying:

“The man on board is named Rufus. Use the frequency I’ve given you to send him a message and talk to him by name. Then demand answers as to why he thought it was a good idea to create a universe wide dilemma. And one more thing… Don’t be nice about it, I’m kinda pissed off right now.”

---

On the same ship that Rufus is on, but in a different time and place within the universe, Ramrod continues to work on his new vessel. While he’s coming close to finishing it, he realizes that actually putting together the pieces of the vessel won’t actually work, because once it’s pieced together it would be too big to fit in the ship they are currently on. That’s what you get for building things when you’re stoned. He will need to use the vessel he is on to transport the components into space. Once the components are in space he can use the telekinetic controls of the vessel he is on to piece The Zeal together.

Meanwhile, Rufus is still fast asleep in his chair on the Bridge, snoring quite loudly.

---

At this point, since those of the Rodia seem to have overlooked the fact from earlier, the Sporn had already completed the unfinished R-Core and implanted their technological knowledge of how they did so so quickly into Rodia’s data systems. Unfortunately, some of the Rodia population that had recently disappeared were the new units. In fact, before all this commotion took place, a good amount of technological know-how had been transferred to Rodia’s data systems, including instructions on how to make their own intergalactic transit drive for faster than light speed propulsion. All they really had to do now is finish building their vessel with the abundant amounts of resources that the Sporn had also teleported into the Rodia cargo bay.

Unfortunately, siren gets nothing more than an automated response from the Sporn, which was produced from a link that was supposedly shared with the rest of the Sporn people. It said:

“Chief Aoa has been taken. I repeat, Chief Aoa has been taken by a hostile force. All hands to your stations. A search for the chief is about to commence.”

Meanwhile, Lars and Gamma are being ignored by those of the Sporn. It would appear they have more concerns to deal with. Maybe they should return to the Rodia… somehow.

---

@Oh no my soup

The English peasant was stopped in her tracks, landing face to face with Magnus with the rusty blade suspended by his neck, the foul stench of tooth decay wafting over his face.

“Witch, you say, cobber?” She turns her goggling eyes to Sandra and back to Magnus, “I say, she isn’t like any other witch I’ve been acquainted with….” She thinks strenuously for a moment while lowering the knife from Magnus's throat. “Then maybe you’d be obliged to help a young lass in her quarry? My father be taken by a dire illness of late. No physician can help. Return us to my home and maybe this witch of yours can heal him proper, yes? Assistance would be much appreciated, Sir Magnus.” She then turns her eyes to the massive Jam vessel they are approaching, and just has to ask. “And just what is this shindig they speak of? But more than that…. Where in all what is holy am I?”

---

@Lumiere

Derok, the lead scientist of the skeleton crew, doesn’t really know what he is looking at, though his attention, for the most part, is focused on the reading displayed on both monitors. 97% human… but it was the other 3% that had him utterly fascinated….

The other scientists and guards in the room are however in awe of what they are witnessing, if not filled with trepidation as well. Unfortunately, in every group, there is always an asshole. In this case that asshole was a guard by the name of Erk. Upon seeing the entity writhing and worming behind the forcefield, he gets it into his head that tormenting the creature might be a good idea.

Keeping his actions subtle, he edges towards the control panel to his right and reaches out slowly to type out a few security based commands. With the commands complete, he pressed the activation button and a series of electrical charges are released within the containment field, striking at the entity in a frenzy of high voltage strikes.

Now Derok turns from is monitor, quickly finding Erk, the cause of the sudden attack on their captive.

“What the hell are you doing?!” He demands.

Erk shrugs and shakes his head, replying; “I’m sorry, it was an accident, I swear.”

---

@Metatrooper

Sahmi and Meta’s assault on the android seems to be taking effect on the android, but only momentarily. Though the Droid is heavily damaged and mangled on the floor, it continues to quickly regenerate. As it does so, it turns its face to look at Meta and Sahmi, saying:

“I will not be taken captive. Return me to my people. Release me or we will all die.” As the android is speaking, it looks like the Tempest has been commandeered by an unknown source, maybe there is a remote control device inside of Aoa that has seized the Tempests systems, because now the Tempest jerks with sudden movement. If Meta interfaces with helm control, he would see that the Tempest is in fact under remote control and on direct course towards the sun.

Sahmi stabilizes herself against the sudden jerking motion of the Tempest and thinks for a moment as she realizes the ship is in motion. She then turns her very concerned eys to Meta, asking; “Are you doing that?”

---

@Blueflame

A day or so earlier, the Quatis fleet escaped Hany’s ribbon and were transported by unknown means across the universe to the Phantom Point Star System. But one of their city ships never arrived at that star system with the rest of the fleet. That one ship arrived near a different location near orbital range of a hospitable planet in an isolated system of deep space. Their contact with the rest of the fleet severed, the captain aboard this city ship decided on colonizing this planet. They were undergoing preparations to do so when their scanners picked up on an alien vessel adrift in space on the outer perimeters of said system.

The scans indicated the vessel in question was rather antiquated, no doubt built from a more primitive race. But there were no life forms detected on board and the only activity detected was one of what appeared to be an entity in the ship’s cargo bay that gave off no life sign readings. The instance seemed very suspicious, if not dangerous. The captain of the Quatis ship therefore ordered a small crew of combat soldiers to be teleport aboard the alien vessel to investigate.

The group of ten Quatis soldiers, heavily armed, materialized in a corridor outside the entrance to the cargo bay on board the alien vessel. Once there, the officer in command of the group gave orders to open the doors of the cargo bay. The group of soldiers then entered the cargo bay, 5 entering to the right, the other 5 entered - including their commanding officer - to the left. They all had their weapons at the ready, wrist torches illuminating the darkness as they scanned the area for the entity within the room….

---

@Dartbored Fairy@Zyngard

Cuna seems to have overlooked the various setting of the gun he had taken measures to secure in his grip before firing. He had the weapon set to full range, full capacity, and as such it released a blue, wide-beam energy projection that made contact with the majority of the herd.

Upon contact, the many Wilder Beast were reduced in size. In an instant, hundreds of animals were the size of rabbits as the space between their molecular structures was reduced. Meanwhile, Shards shot at the nearest approach wilder beast went right over its head and faded off into the distance. With the majority of the herd now reduced in size, Shard, Cuna, Pirila and Mili were in no more immediate danger than being trampled by ankle tall mammals.

Shard started laughing hysterically as the stampede of wilder beast, too stupid to know they had been shrunk, continued their charge through the legs of the group and continued on in their path for safety from whatever had spooked them.

“Well, thank God you have some balls!” shard said to Cuna as she slipped her weapon back into its holster. “I was beginning to worry that our baby would be a bit a pussy.”

She then takes her attention to Mili and smiles, saying; “Glad to have you back, kid…. But something tells me the fun isn’t over yet.”

---

Hida’s comment didn’t please the bandit at all, in fact it appeared to infuriate him. His expression was like that of someone who just realized he stepped in dog shit. He wasn’t impressed at all.

“Have it our way, whore!” He said, gaining support of laughter from his fellow bandits. “You’re going to be swimming in our cum before the hour is due!”

As the head bandit spoke these words, Cas was so enraged by the proceedings taking place that he was just about ready to fire upon the bandits with his sophisticated weapon, when he was jumped by three bandits that sprung from the hedges behind him. The three bandits quickly tackled Cas to the ground before he had time to fire. They pinned him down quickly while the leader of the bandits moved in, lowering his sword to throw a punch at Hida’s face to knock her out. As he did so, the rest of his party of bandits began to dismount their horses in anticipation for the coming tag-team party….

---

@Prima Luce

When the Recovery crew arrive, they are equipped with torches and actually wearing gas masks that supply a steady supply of oxygen. The soldiers are also armed with Quantum rifles. In the living area of Pycin’s quarters, they find Pycin’s wife writhing on the floor, face going purple as she struggled to breathe. Two medics rush to her aid and evacuate her from the premises.

A series of ten soldiers of the recovery team then search the Quarters and find a man, Donny, standing in the bathroom near a hole in the wall, looming over the Grand Ministers dead and mutilated body. Obviously, the Grand Minister being dead came as a shock, but so was the fact that the unknown man, Donny, didn’t seem to be phased in the slightest by the lack of oxygen.

The soldiers surround the entrance to the bathroom, focusing their aim at the presumed killer, and the leading officer barked his command:

“Get down on the floor with your hands behind your head! I won’t ask you twice!”

The Antidote [inactive]

@Quote5@Dartbored Fairy and just a little @Candy

---

Victor

Victor was more than happy to see Laika was with him. He’d been worried that something would go wrong. It didn’t, but he guessed he should have never questioned her special abilities to start with. Still, and what came across as a surprise to him, is that soon after observing no guards nearby, a couple of guards could actually be heard now. He was about to reply to Laika when the voice of one of the guards prevented him from uttering a word of his own.

He stopped with mouth agape in silence, glaring at Laika in a suspended moment. He then turned his eyes towards the computer data terminal on the wall next to him, giving Laika a nod to suggest that she knew what to do. He then quickly motioned with his hands that he would find a safe place to hide and not to worry about him.

When the security guard arrived, the area where Laika and Victor were hiding was empty, as too is the surrounding rows between cargo containers and crates. The guard must have been right, probably just a dirty rat or something.

---

Palmerston

Fortunately, all the cleaning equipment was already stored in the janitor’s room on the lower level of the ship, so Palmerstone only had his seen-better-days brown duffel bag (filled with clothing and other odds and ends) slung over his shoulder in the grip of one hand when he arrived on board.

He made his way with head down through the corridors of the Aurora and managed to catch sight of a woman in passing. With a quick glance he recognized her as the First Officer from the crew manifest he had pawed over earlier. In any case, Delu or whatever name was, was a fine looking sort. Maybe if he had of cared at all he might have said hello or even given her a nod of recognition, but he didn’t care and therefore didn’t react. Judging by her direction, she was probably on rout to the bridge. In time, Palmerston would get to see the bridge as well as every other place on the ship while fulfilling his duties as janitor. He would also have to check in with the Captain at some point soon, just a routine procedure to introduce himself. But for now his only interest was getting settled in his room, so he kept on walking, took the next elevator to the lower deck and then found his quarters.

Aspect

I've had several responses to this, which is good, and I may be close to deciding on a partner. But for the sake of being thorough, I just wanted to bump this up the line once more before it gets buried, for any other interested players that might have missed it.

Aspect

Welcome!

I'll try and be as brief as possible to allow for suggestions from those who are interested in this clearly-been-done-before premise.

This RP will be loosely based on the Supernatural theme. Two ghost/monster hunters in the modern world. That said, I'm looking for something gritty; real to life characters, no superpowers besides that of plausible abilities like that of clairvoyance or other psychic talents, etc. Still, whatever abilities might be chosen, in the end I really want them to feel plausible and realistic. To be OP in this matter would, in my view, remove a lot of the suspense and fun.

My Character: Will be a man, maybe in his twenties to early thirties, who suffered a tragic loss at the hands of a supernatural entity some years ago. He will be given to drink and less than standard practice in the hunt for the entity that supposedly killed his loved ones. Sure, he sounds a little cliche ahem, but i'm going for it anyway XD

Your Character: Must be human, of course. I'll be looking for an attractive female character to play alongside, preferably one played by a female for the sake of authentic feminine reactions. But if you're a guy and believe you can play the role just as well, then don't be afraid to stick your hand up. Your character will be my characters partner in this sordid hunt for the supernatural, and in time they will likely become more than just friends and colleagues (hence the romance tag). Other NPC's (for lack of better reference) can also be introduced, but we can cross that bridge when we get there. Aside from all that, I really want a character that feels real and down to earth to keep the gritty feel. Heads up, I'm probably gonna be a little fussy with applicants.

---

Other things to note:

-Try and steer away from anime and other cartoon-like images with your character. real-to-life images are preferred. But please, OC characters only. Imagination is essential in this RP.

-I'll be the GM, obviously, but when playing 1X1 I like to stand on a relatively even ground with my partner. I'm not complaining if you want to bring about scenarios of your own. In fact, I welcome that sort of initiative. Things are more interesting and fun that way. The only thing I ask, which might seem ironic considering the topic, is that the ideas are plausible and feel believable to our world and what we think we know. Of course, crossing the line is also welcome when it's done right, but that can be said about anything.

-I was also considering the possibility of a small group, rather than a 1X1, but I'll keep it as a 1X1 unless, or until, more than one potential candidate expresses their seriously attractive interest.

-Posting intervals.. well, this is a thing. I'd prefer that replies are made fairly frequently, anywhere from 1 to 3 days. but I mean... RL can hold us back at times so I'm not too concerned about a casual pace. Ultimately I don't want my partner to feel pressured into posting. "OH HELL I'VE GOTTA GET A POST OUT TODAY BEFORE HOKUM GIVES HIMSELF AN ANEURYSM!" Pls no.... As long as you're serious about joining and don't have any plans to abandon my sorry ass, then I'm good. Just have fun!

-Posting length should be more than just a few sentences. Like, efforts are appreciated. I'm not saying I want an advanced post every time, that definitely isn't necessary, but one or two or more decent paragraphs would be nice. Hey, quality beats quantity any day of the week. I'm not a grammar Nazi either, naturally mistakes are bound to be made. But that said, I'd prefer my partner to take a bit of care in their work.

-I guess I should also mention that this RP will be taking place via the open forum, not via PM. Lately, I've been finding less and less reason to hide or keep RP's a secret. Let others enjoy the read if they want to.

-You can contact me with question here or via pm, though.

Alright, I'm done for now. Look'n forward to hearing from you!

...That wasn't quite as brief as I was hoping for.

F searching for M - Lots of Ideas

Hey, I'll PM you about one of your ideas.

The Antidote [inactive]

Second Character

PALMERSTON

Palmerston

Race: Appears Human.

Age: Looks middle-aged.

Gender: Male.

Rank: Janitor.

Appearance: Palmerston, or just Palmer, has intense blue-grey eyes, stands just over 6 feet tall (185cm) and is slightly overweight. Though he wears a basic blue and black company uniform, he doesn’t wear it with any visible dignity. His shirt is usually out, trousers riding low, revealing a little bum crack when mopping or performing other duties that involves him bending over. He doesn’t like beards but doesn’t care enough to shave regularly, so much of the time he has uneven patches of black and grey stubble about his cheeks, chin and neck. His greying black head hair, though receding, is also unkempt; a quick run through with wet fingers in the morning is as much as anyone can expect of his grooming efforts. Though he holds the job of a professional cleaning, Palmer ironically only bathes once every few days, and carries with him an odor concocted of industrial cleaning agents, damp sweat and just a trace of bum scum. In other words, he’s kinda gross.

Palmerston's Bio: The company Palmerston works for are known as TIA (The Imperial Attendants), the same company the Third Star Military usually employ janitorial services from. Due to the short notice of Aurora’s departure, TIA’s usual veteran janitors were unavailable and they were therefor forced to send in one of their newer employees. Of course, Palmerston, regardless of his half hazard appearance and being a new addition to the TIA crew, came with an impeccable resume, thus making him there next best choice for the job.

Like all janitors, generally trusted without question, Palmerston was given the necessary security passes and scanning devices to access all areas of the Aurora, aside from private personnel and officer quarters, in order to perform his duties proficiently. The Janitors room, or Palmerston’s own private quarters, is situated on the lower deck of the Aurora, away from the majority of other cabins and living quarters. But that is just the way Palmerston likes it. He isn’t what you’d call a social butterfly by any extent of the imagination, keeping to himself while off duty, and while on duty he generally keeps his head down working and attending to his job.

Abilities: Palmerston’s special abilities will be kept undisclosed for the time being and revealed throughout the RP. Of course, the GM will be apprised of these questionable qualities in advance.

Palmerston doesn’t really swear allegiance to anyone, no less The Third Star Empire. He’s more or less a miserable man content with the job he gets paid to do.

The Antidote [inactive]

@Dartbored Fairy

While Victor huddles behind one of the last remaining crates to be loaded onto the Aurora, he can feel that dark, sinking fear tying a knot in his stomach. For a moment, but just for a moment, he feels a little dizzy as his mind races to find reasons to justify the doubts he was having about stowing away on this specific ship. Or was it more of a concern about wanting to leave the Capital at all? He couldn’t be sure which… but one thing became certain very quickly, overriding that sickly knot in his stomach; he needed to find a better life for him and his friend. After all, a life on the streets was no life at all. Sure, running wasn’t much better, especially when running into unknown territory, but at least it would provide the hope of a better life to come.

Finally, he summons the final ounce of courage needed to make the next move onto the ship. With a deep breath, he speaks to his friend to ensure she is ready also, though hopes that his whisper isn’t too soft for her to hear.

“Laika…. Are you ready for this? There’s nobody watching. We have to do it now. Or never.”

In a blur of movement, Victor pounces atop the crate and pivots as he reaches to the security camera on the wall above. As he grabs the camera, temporarily blocking its view with the palm of his hand, the distribution of his weight causes the camera to shift its line of sight. With that, and the final phase of their plan complete, he leaps down from the crate and starts walk.

“Let’s go, quick!” He whispers again, though his words are so very soft that he doesn’t expect Laika to hear him.

In the hopes that his friend will follow without a problem, he walks in a casual but hasty manner along the remaining stretch of the walkway, around the corner, and into the passage that leads to the cargo bay of the Aurora. No personnel or security guards are present for now, but three more cameras are passed along the way. Victor however keeps his faith, knowing that he and Laika aren’t being detected. Still, after what the suspense made feel like an hour long walk, though was likely only just a minute or two, they arrive in the cargo bay. Victor then begins zig-zagging through numerous rows of storage containers until reaching the far corner of the room. There, he hunkers down by an active data computer terminal and breathes a massive sigh of relief. Due to the lack of security alarms going off and the absence of any guards in pursuit, it was clear that there plan was a success. They had successfully arrived unseen and undetected on board the Aurora.

Realizing for a moment that he had in his haste forgotten about his friend who was meant to have been following his lead, he turns his eyes frantically, desperately searching the dark shadows for her.

“Laika…. Are you there? I can’t see you…. Is everything okay?”

The Antidote [inactive]

Yeah, I don't see a problem with a Discord server, it usually helps with more direct OOC communication. Plus they're kinda more fun when we want to poke each other about things.

The Antidote [inactive]

VICTOR

Victor

Species: Human. With Cybernetic Enhancements. Doesn’t like to be referred to as a Cyborg.

Age: Almost 15.

Gender: Male.

Description: From an outside perspective, Victor looks completely human. He stands just over 5’7” with a lean build, pale skin, short and unkempt black hair with shades of brown around the ears and nape, and just a few small scattered freckles on his cheeks. He is dressed in dark grey denim trousers, well-worn black ankle boots, and a dirty white T-shirt with brown leather jacket. The jacket is always open, since the zip broke some time ago.

Backstory

Victor was born severely disabled with deformities to his arms, legs, spinal column and left eye. From birth, he was virtually paralyzed from the neck down. Due to his extreme disability, his parents abandoned him to the Third Star Capital Hospital when he was still an infant, where he lived out his childhood in a hospital bed until he reached the age of 14. At that point, one of the medical scientists of the hospital proposed rebuilding Victor with cybernetics and, after several weeks of debate among hospital directors, it was decided that it was in everyone’s best interest to make Victor an active contributor to society. The necessary arrangements were made.

At the age of 14 and 6 months, the operation was underway. Victor’s arms, legs, spinal column and left eye were replaced by Cybernetics, while a computerized device, called a CR-1 (Cybernetic Regulator – 1) was implanted next to his heart to regulate and stabilize his Bio and Bionic systems. In addition, due to the stress that these extreme cybernetic additions would cause his natural functions, Victor’s remaining skeletal structure was also replaced with a newly developed alloy, while the natural ability for his biological systems to grow any further was permanently stunted. Despite having his bones, limbs and left eye replaced with artificial components, Victor’s brain and other major thoracic and abdominal organs remained human.

For the next few months Victor underwent a grueling process of rehabilitation that would ultimately help him learn to function by natural human standards. But alas, Victor took some time adjusting to his superior physical strength, and three weeks into his rehabilitation he accidentally killed one of the therapists in charge of his care. This incident created some obvious problems… and desperately panicked by the fact that the hospital directors ordered that he be captured and contained for further processing, Victor broke free from his ward and escaped the hospital.

Victor spent the next month or two living on the streets of the Capital, stealing food to survive and hiding in the shadows until he met a young girl by the name of Laika, another teenage runaway. Victor and Laika quickly became close friends, living and battling to stay alive by their wits and brawn on the streets of The Third Star Capital, until one day they heard of a way they might be able to escape that life forever….

---

To note: As Quote5 mentioned in the OP OOC, my character and another players characters (yet to post) will be stowaways on the ship. Also, Victor is a character fresh off the press and developed solely for this RP. I haven’t ironed out all the creases yet, so I feel a lot of Victor’s character growth and personality will likely take place as the RP develops along with him. If major changes are made to his character, things that effect the RP in any great way, I’ll be sure to let everyone know, especially the GM. And one last thing... Victor has not in any way declared his allegiance to The Empire of the Third Star.