thirty-ninth jump;

[ataraxites]

CHARACTERS: Any and all.
LOCATION: Gravity Couches and beyond.
WARNINGS: Maybe some swearing, or even some violence, and more than likely some implied (and possibly explicit) nakedness.
SUMMARY: Another month, another jump, another round of new faces.
NOTES: A feeling of deep dread greets you as you stumble out of the gravcouch, strong enough to hold you still for a long moment, searching your surroundings for the source of your wariness. Nothing becomes apparent, only your fellow passengers waking up. Eventually you gather the resolve to pick yourself up and start moving, the feeling fading slowly as you progress through routine.

New arrivals will find messages spraypainted across their lockers telling them not to follow their tattoo numbers, and instead to find a room on Floors 001-010.


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ＹＯＵ͘ ̨ＷＡＫＥ̢ ̧ＵＰ ́ＩＮ ＤＡ̛ＲＫＮ̢Ｅ̕ＳＳ̶

There's a breathing tube jammed down your trachea, and you're suspended in a tube of clear blue fluid. Upon registering your level of consciousness, the gravity couch drains the fluid surrounding you and retracts the breathing apparatus; the doors in front of you open, and you're deposited on the floor of a stark, sterile medical bay.

ＹＯ́Ｕ̴ ̧Ａ̨ＲＥ ＮＯＴ҉ ̷ＡＬＯ̨ＮＥ҉

There are others who have come before you, others who are awakening beside you. Some may be familiar to you, perhaps even friends. Others have much less amiable plans. Some are merely alien and inexplicable, but there are always those who might mean you harm.

After you catch your breath and your vision returns, you notice a number on the inside of your forearm. Maybe it's a familiar number. Maybe it means something. Maybe it's just a number. But the number—completely unique to you—is a tattoo, and it does not come off.

If you enter the room adjacent to the medbay, you will find a small locker with your number on it, surrounded by rows upon rows of identical lockers. Inside, you will find a few of your personal items, a communications device, and a ship's uniform in your exact size. The comms device is fully powered and connects directly to the ship's network; it's your only means of communication beyond physical conversation. Upon turning the device on, a neutral, automated voice will say, "Please take the blue lift to the passenger quarters." Any other attempts at communicating with the rest of the network are met only with static.

ＴＨ̀ＩＳ͜ ̶Ｉ͠Ｓ͡ ͘Ｙ̵Ｏ͝ＵＲ ̕Ｗ͝Ｅ̛Ｌ̨Ｃ͡Ｏ͝Ｍ͏Ｅ Ｐ̛ＡＲ̴ＴＹ͜

Comments

[sparkler]

There certainly are. Isn't it nice to know that we've been abducted en masse? Makes you feel a bit less alone.

[His boots are untied. You're a disaster, Cole, a walking disaster. But it's ok, Dorian kinda likes you. You're just so earnest.]

Did you say something to make him upset? Sometimes it's best to be careful about that sort of thing. Southerners can be so touchy.

[fade_away]

There's people I can help. I hope. The songs are strange here, hard to hear.

[Cole tries really hard to think about what could have upset Cullen but he's drawing a blank. Maybe it's just because Cullen thinks he's a demon. Yes, that must be it.]

Cullen thinks I'm a demon.

[sparkler]

Oh, you know those templars. They think everyone's a demon - or just about to turn into one.

[Though Cullen isn't like that, really. He may still distrust magic and mages, but he doesn't seem to have nearly as much of a hairtrigger as a lot of these southern templars. It's easy to see how Cole could unnerve him, though. Dorian isn't entirely sure what he is, either.]

What songs do you hear, Cole? And can we be quite sure you're not just a bit of a demon?

[fade_away]

It's like trying to listen when you're being held underwater. Everything is distorted and distant, dull. Can one be a bit of a demon? I thought it was an either or. Like alive or dead.

[sparkler]

The borders on that one aren't so clear either, are they? But you don't seem like a demon to me, anyway. Certainly you don't seem threatening when you've failed to tie your laces.

[He gestures downward.] Careful you don't trip.

[fade_away]

[Cole looks down to his shoes with mild disappointment. He lifts one foot, then the other. Yes, they are still untied. They did not magically tie themselves when he wasn't looking. He looks back to Dorian.]

As long as I step carefully and don't try to run I usually don't trip.

[There's a metaphor in there somewhere about him trying to help and getting similar results, probably?]

[sparkler]

No doubt that's true, but it might be easier if you simply tied them.

[A moment, as he looks at Cole. Cole's not human - he's not quite anything that Dorian really understands, for all that he's had his share of experience with both demons and spirits. Cole is different. His own special being.

Which also means that, possibly - ]

Do you know how to?

[fade_away]

[Cole shakes his head.]

Varric said he'd teach me but he's still at Skyhold and we are here.

[sparkler]

Indeed he is. Well, we can't have you running around with loose laces, what will the people here think of us?

[He kneels and takes the laces of one of Cole's boots in his hands, slowly tying them, explaining as he goes.]

...and you see? Just like that, it's tied. Now you do the other.

[fade_away]

[Cole watches Dorian with great interest. It's like magic, as far as he's concerned. He looks at his other untied shoe with trepidation, but... Dorian wants him to try, so he will try.

Kneeling as well, Cole takes both his laces rather carefully, like they may become snakes at any moment, and slowly tries to repeat the process Dorian showed him. He gets it about half right.]

[sparkler]

Ah, nearly right. Very good, you'll have it down in no time if you practice a bit.

[He reaches out to untie and retie it again, slowly, so Cole can see.]

Not hard at all, is it? Of course, if you do need help, you can ask Cullen or I.

[fade_away]

[Cole's brow furrows as he tries to watch again what Dorian does. He's got the basic knotting part down correct, but after that it goes all kitty-wumpus. Loopies are confusing.]

I will ask you. [Because Cullen would get mad if he asked him.] Thank you, Dorian.

[sparkler]

You're quite welcome. Can't have an ally looking less than their best.

[Well... Cole could definitely look a lot better, but at least now he probably won't trip and fall and break his nose. It's an improvement, if a small one. Dorian straightens up.]

I suppose if Cullen's not happy with you, it's best if you don't come along with us. Will you be able to find your room alone? I believe they've been assigned to us.

[fade_away]

[Cole nods at Dorian's question. He does look like a mess still, but at least he's a clean mess now? A simple fashion calamity instead of a fashion disaster. He's not quite to Solas' level anymore.]

I just need to match the number. [he points to the one on his arm.] I need to find others first though.

[sparkler]

Others? Are there others here, besides all these strangers?

[He doubts it, but you never know - this place seems full of mysteries, and hiding another handful of people from Thedas would be no real surprise. Then again, he could be misunderstanding Cole completely. That seems easy to do.]

Perhaps you could find me later, then, if you learn anything helpful.

[fade_away]

People here are hurting. They need help. But ... [He tilts his head up slightly, like he is listening to some far distant music.] ... Varric's friends, maybe, I think? I will look. And I will tell you if I find anything helpful.

[sparkler]

Yes, do that. I'll certainly keep you updated on anything that I learn as well.

[Whether it'll actually be useful or not for someone like Cole... well, who knows. But Dorian will at least give it a try.]

Be careful, Cole. We don't know what dangers might be here.

[fade_away]

[Cole might have no useful information for Dorian, for that matter. The goings on of people's hearts rarely mean much to strangers.]

I will be careful. You be careful too, Dorian! Thank you for reasoning with the laces for me. [And he is off again like a spirit on a mission!]