Military Base #34

[supernal 22146]

Artist: ned-rogers

Note: open to members of the military only

Purpose

Inspired by Daniel Sage's Base #33, the purpose of this military base is to serve as a central meeting hub for members of the military that want to interact with other soldiers outside of missions. Examples of the kind of activity that make the best use of this hub are:

• Rest / idle time going into, or coming out of, an active mission
• Practicing skills and maneuvers relevant to your unit
• Making use of specialized tournament and training fields for those wishing to spar, practice combat, work in teams, and so on.
• Practicing coursework in the library or with members from other departments to shift from one branch of service to another or to collaborate on mission intelligence

Layout

• Bali's Bistro: A 10 mile march away from the base is Bali's Bistro. If the food in the mess hall is too bland or not alcoholic enough, visit Bali's Bistro for food whose "not free" price tag reflects an uptick in quality and alcohol.
• Barracks: Where the soldiers go to sleep!
• Communications Depot: Where soldiers can send and receive communications in any media, ranging from paper letters to holo-array projections, and can range from plaintext public communications to encrypted private and secret communications - basically players can send messages to one another through here
• Library: Since the advent of the Crook and its connections to TSM, this base offers public access terminals to TSM stored data. A smaller number of military terminals can be used for encrypted communications and access to confidential data.
• Mess hall: An attached edifice where a soldier can go to get their three square meals a day and chat it up with other soldiers. Food served only at 8AM, at 12PM, and at 4PM.
• Potemkin village: A small dummy village has been setup nearby for saboteurs to destroy and engineers to rebuild.
• Training fields: Specialized rings and fields for those wishing to spar or practice combat in simulated environments, both one on one and in small teams.

Security

It's a military base. Not interested in making this a combat zone but yeah, it's got defenses

Canon

Crucible Study: Soldiers Cadmium and Delistair work together to engineer a new apotropaic solution for soldiers in the field facing off against unknown magic.

Edited September 24, 2020 by supernal

[LastLight 1315]

Promotion Celebration

---

Never let it be said that soldiering subdued one’s festive spirit. Every single man and woman wandering within the artificial fog while being occasionally bisected by light rays of varying colors was expected to approximate the efficiency of machinery when performing their duties. When throwing a party, however, more than enough of them loosened up. Maybe it had always been a part of their personality. Or maybe all of them had formed an intimate relationship with their mortality as a result of occupational hazards and understood that since life was short, pleasure should be considered an imperative of life.

Nur was not part of that demographic. While walking among them, both of his ears plugged with a paper material to ease the strain the loud music caused him, he pondered the meaning of it all. Why did they find it so important to gather, flail their arms about and move their feet to the rhythm of the music? There were times he suspected that smiles were presented with the intention of conveying an emotion that wasn’t really there but when they danced, he conjured no sense of that. But then on the other hand several of them looked displeased as they danced, like they didn’t wish to be approached and were entirely unhappy with their role. Yet they persisted.

As he came upon a table covered with several hors d'oeuvres which included a variety of fritters with different fillings, crab puffs, toasted bread topped with several different cheeses and/or meats, he paused. Looking at it all, he was pretty certain he could devour everything himself. Then after the notion crossed his mind, he pushed past, aware of how his new rather well fed lifestyle was wreaking havoc on his sleeping patterns. Eventually, he found a chair and sat down. The other soldiers occupying the table all paused to regard the stranger joining their table unannounced and when he looked out to the dance floor without saying anything to them, they all began to exchange glances. 

Spoiler

Clothes: Brown gambeson vest, black wool pants, barefoot 

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by LastLight

[PandaHat 2589]

It was particularly uncommon for Colonel Pembroke to leave her relatively secluded base in Weland Gorge to travel to another base, but this seemed like a particularly special evening ceremony. Just like one of her first missions, she fussed over what she would wear and how it would look on her for what seemed like hours. By this time, Maira's arm was fully repaired. While the Seelie fae fussed over her hair, which had grown a bit longer since she had arrived from Yh'mi, Maira remained still, staring at herself in the mirror. She had a few memories resurface. However, as the man worked, he generally complimented her. 

"I never thought you'd go with something so traditionally...fae." He said softly. His voice held more than a slight trace of an accent. When he had finished, she was well-coiffed and well on her way to the event. The woman in plaid entered without trying to make a fuss. However, a couple of soldiers saluted her at the door and the woman grinned, telling them to relax. "This is a party." She declared. Her eyes moved to the dance floor where she saw a group enjoying themselves, but the warning rumble of her stomach sent her walking casually to the table of hor d'oeuvres to nibble. 

She walked, surveying the crowd before she stood behind a table. Maira stood straight, taking trained, dainty bites of food. It was obvious that she wanted to take more than just dainty bites. Maira looked down at one particularly apprehensive soldier and knelt down to speak softly in his paper stuffed ear. "Good evening, soldier. You don't seem to be enjoying yourself all that much. Would you mind company?" 

@LastLight

Spoiler

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/146296687866910357/

 

Edited May 28, 2018 by PandaHat

[supernal 22146]

Throughout most of his youth Cadmium had been described as nervous and reserved. Later on in puberty society merged these two diagnoses into one, now called social anxiety. This anxiety followed Cadmium into early adulthood as well but left him shortly after joining the military.

The joining itself made no difference. Cadmium had been prepared for a lifelong military career since a child, an inevitability of belonging a military family. Basic training didn't do it either. Where Basic was emotionally trying was mostly a function of the physical and intellectual demands of the training. The horror stories of emotional manipulation and casual violence against recruits were by now just that, just stories, just ghosts of a bygone era by the time Cadmium joined.

What did it was the Wastelands itself. Out there, the only decorum which endured was that which improved your odds for survival. The vast desert was not a thing which could be offended, or argued with, or persuaded or scared. It simply did as it did and was as it was, inscrutable and inexorable. After those experiences, and others since having returned to civilization somehow more proper but no less savage, the thought of being unnerved by talking to strangers now almost made Cadmium laugh.

Tonight was going to be fun!

The venue was one of their military bases. Big Brother didn't skimp on the festivities, having brought in enough fog and lasers and banners and music to obscure the fact that everything around them had been built to withstand assault and give back as good as it got. Gawking at the décor Cadmium followed a nearly identical path to Nur without being conscious of it. He ate about three crab puffs and got himself a cup of fizzy punch, only then spotting Nur at a distance between the movements of soldiers streaming into and out of the dance floor.

He arrived at Nur's table two minutes after the colonel. Cadmium's charcoal gray, two-piece suit and black-and-grey pinstriped tie were a far cry from bold, but he simply lacked the imagination to stand out in the fashion world.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." Cadmium spoke with force, ensuring he was heard above the music. Unlike formal military celebrations, no one was in their dress uniform or sporting their ranks, so there was no expectation to salute even though he recognized the colonel by her face. They had never been introduced, so he took the initiative, extending a hand to Maira.

"I'm Cadmium, of the Metireal family, and I've just made captain! I don't mean to shout but I'm damn excited about the night."

@PandaHat @LastLight

Note: trigger - introduction

Edited May 20, 2018 by supernal

[LastLight 1315]

From how easily Maira approached him unnoticed, it was clear that Nur was overwhelmed by the atmosphere. He had never been so surrounded by several different types of sensory stimuli like this. In more serene environments, especially where the wind blew, he could survey his surroundings on his olfactory senses alone. His ears could decipher the sounds of the lightest steps and he could feel their vibrations while his feet were on the ground. Here? He was easy pickings. 

When she leaned in to whisper in his ear, the mere proximity of something soft and fluttery, probably one rogue strand of hair, caused his ear to twitch and flicker as he turned his head to look at her, leaning away, eyes flaring momentarily until he realized that she was just an attendee trying to get his attention. After perusing her clothing, namely the leaf mimicry covering the length of her arms, he responded. 

"Not mind." 

It was concise but before he could move on he stopped and repeated, this time with more of a struggle, "I . . . do . . . not mind. I . . . am . . . Nur the Feral." 

Next, he turned and extended his foot out underneath the table, pushing one of the chairs out so that she could sit, then turning his head to watch as another arrived. When he recognized Cadmium, his pupils dilated, suddenly feeling much more at ease now that he was accompanied by someone more familiar before studying his clothes. Without his armor on, the newly appointed captain of the Terran military looked pretty small. Perhaps not small altogether actually but smaller. 

After watching the exchange between he and the colonel, he turned his attention to the woman and blurted out, “What rank you?” 

Stop. 

“What . . . is . . . your rank?” 

Spoiler

Trigger: Introduction

 

Edited May 22, 2018 by LastLight

[jaistlyn 8193]

When people let loose, you discover hidden things about them that didn’t show at work. This was the first time there had been such a celebration for promotions. A new initiative, in the name of fostering teamwork, but perhaps it was an excuse to feel normal in the recent spate of things. Gaia knew they needed it. 

In any case, Delistair found himself volunteered to sing for the event, along with a few other willing or unwilling sacrifices who either sang, or played instruments. Delistair sighed. It was all because of those creepy diviners, who looked into him like they could see straight into his soul, and forced him to confess that he used to sing. He smiled and shook his head at the ridiculousness of it.

The members of the band had been thrown together for the purposes of this night, but they were decent musicians, all of them. They nodded at each other to signify that they were ready, then the drums came in with a lively beat, signifying the start of the festivities. When Delistair came in with his smooth tenor voice, it turned more than a few heads. With his slender muscles and shoulder-length hair, the mage could look attractive when he tried. Delistair rocked along to the music, actually enjoying himself.

Spoiler

Trigger: Going for the stage - sing for the audience! Got 1 of 7 letters.

 

[PandaHat 2589]

With a grin, she waved at Cadmium. She sat down in the chair Nur had pulled out for her. "Nice to meet you, Nur. My name is Maira Pembroke." She laughed. "I am a Colonel." This little lady had always been modest. It wasn't as though her accomplishments were easy for her. Nothing came to her without sacrifice and hard work. She looked up at Cadmium. "It's fine! You both should be excited!" She watched as Delistair took the stage. She was silent for a moment, tilting her head slightly. It was nice seeing someone she had worked with enjoying themselves so much. Not only that, but didn't he look so much more handsome when he wasn't being disappointed in the failure of a mission? 

After shaking herself from her trance, she looked at her company. "Soooo..." She smiled at Nur and Cadmium. "Have ye worked up the courage to dance? That singer, Delistair, he's pretty good." She turned to the stage to offer one last glimpse at the singer, then got to her feet. "If you don't know how to dance, I can, uh, attempt to teach you." She said with a laugh. This was a night of celebration. "This offer extends to both of you." 

Spoiler

Introduced herself to new people

 

Edited May 28, 2018 by PandaHat

[spacegy4 1048]

For some people this activity was normal, but for the teenager it was straight up weird.  Her current situation didn't help one bit either.  The engineer typical to combat fatigues and cleanly cut formal attire was wearing a bright red dress.  Prior to the girl's arrival she'd visited her locker to pick up her formal wear to find it missing.  Someone had pilfered the locker!  The pale teenager seethed with rage, and turned nearly red as the dress that occupied the space the formal wear previously held in front of her.  Hana would would get to the bottom of this and show the perpetrator what it meant to tamper with her gear... at a much regrettably later time.  Whoever made that swap knew the teenager liked efficiently using time and left a small window of preparation, and used that tactic against her.

The dress was clean, and donning it in its dysfunctional glory wasn't much issue, but it felt a bit uncomfortable wearing a belt and IWB holster under it.  That minor discomfort would pay piece of mind that she gladly accepted.  She'd have to contain her feelings about what had happened and make way to the celebration.  Being seen in and wearing attire that seemed so impractical and unnecessary nearly made her blood boil, but she miraculously contained making a big show while strolling to the venue.  With little knowledge of what to expect Hana overcame the precipice that led to the celebration hall.  Whether she liked it or not the dress looked nice on her and complimented the engineer's petite frame, and to benefit or detriment gave an attractive look.  With some brief nervous glances about the room and hearing a familiar voice she'd eye Delistair at the stage.  Recognizing someone of familiarity sent a wave of relief through her as she headed off to the table of hors d'oeuvres and beverages.

After downing a couple of those scrumptious crab puffs and drowning it with punch the girl would edge toward the unfamiliar.  The colonel she also recognized, but the others nearby not so much.  "Hello."  She'd briefly wave to Cadmium and Nur to get their attention with minimal fanfare.  "I'm Hana.  Congratulations on the promotions."  There was no hiding the tenseness the teenager felt through the whole activity thus far.  At least the food helped her ease up a bit.

Spoiler

introduction to someone new: 2 letters

 

Edited June 14, 2018 by spacegy4

[supernal 22146]

@PandaHat

At Nur's precise articulation Cadmium cocked a brow, but refrained from commentary as he didn't want to draw attention to Nur's earnest struggles with the Terric tongue; he was pleased to find Nur's labors already bearing fruit, and would say as much later on when they were on their own.

"Colonel is here." Cadmium held his left hand at eye level, a smile stretching end to end just underneath. "Captain, me, is here." His right hand came up to his left hand then went down the equivalent of two notches, hovering near his chest. That ought to give Nur an idea of where Maira ranked with respective to himself; he was sure that she had many stories under her belt, and that Nur's inquisitive mind would suss those stories out in no time.

Cadmium turned his attention to the stage. He had a moment of rather pleasant cognitive dissonance watching the man on the stage croon into the microphone. Anywhere one might look and lay eyes on another person there was a level chance of that person having killed someone else. No doubt justified, no doubt unavoidable, no doubt at least some of those people would only be indirectly responsible, but that was what it was. And yet, they were people also. They felt things outside of the heavy burden of duty; they did things outside of the scope of their training. He had never seen this man singing before but that was not a voice that came into being out of nowhere. He learned that voice. He trained it, he maintained it. He may have seen one of his closest friends lost on the battlefield, and he was still able to make music.

"I'm not much of a dancer I'm afraid. But I'll say this much – I've been inspired."

It was just as Cadmium turned to go that he narrowly avoided running into Hana.

@spacegy4

"Hello!" He bowed his head to the young lady; family bred gentility locked Cadmium's eyes onto Hana's own, rather than allowing them to trace the figure she presented in her eye-catching dress. "Thank you very much Hana. I'm Cadmium. If you'll pardon my rudeness, I have to see a man about a guitar."

Within minutes Cadmium was just off-stage, sneaking into position behind Delistair and to one side of the drummer. He began whispering to the gathered parties.

"What are the chances you fellas are familiar with Saccharine's Ballroom Blitz?"

@jaistlyn

[LastLight 1315]

Maira's laugh was curious. Why did the question illicit that response? Nur's expression was perpetually focused and contemplative and in this case, he resolved that there must have been something inappropriate about his question but not to such a degree that it was frowned upon. Only laughed at, lightheartedly. Then he glanced over to Cadmium, who broke down the comparison between what a captain was and what a colonel was using varied levels of hand positioning, a gesture he understood well. 

He had been correcting his speech since before he met Cadmium and joined the military. It sounded the exact same but the difference from then and now was that the driving force had changed. Before he was only mimicking the way he heard literate people speak whereas now, he was attempting to forge statements using at least an introductory level of understanding of the Terric language. Proper syntax and other rules, most of which he found horrendously inane but nevertheless necessary to the purpose he sought to achieve for himself. 

Delistair's performance became his next focus for some time, perhaps prompted by the way Maira watched him entranced until Hana approached. 

"Thank you," Nur responded with practiced fluidity. He stood up and out of his chair with such ready intent that he must have known how to dance when in reality, he had never done so before. Maira had offered herself up as an instructor, however, and he wouldn't miss the opportunity. As he began to walk towards the dance floor fearlessly, he stopped by Hana, "Come . . . dance . . . with . . . us? If . . . you can't, Maira . . . Pembroke will teach . . . you. I cannot dance . . . either. I will . . . learn." 

Hana was already uncomfortable in her own skin. By how many more times was that sensation multiplied when Nur held his hand out to her? Ignorantly mimicking the way some of the people in the celebration offered to take others onto the dance floor? Somewhere behind the scenes, Cadmium was arranging something most folks might swing dance to. These two ladies were suddenly in very real danger of being thrown head first into the ceiling if they encouraged Nur to swing them overhead. 

Spoiler

Trigger: Invite someone to dance. 

 

[PurplePanda 326]

Wearing his best silks and fineries, a stiff and broadened figure stood rigidly by the refreshments. It wasn't any thing like he had expected, the fog, the lasers, the loud music. It had him more than on edge, and he purposely tried to  make every sip of his water as long and drawn out as it possibly could be. Thoughts of retiring early made it through his head as he slow conjured up some bits of wax to shove into his sensitive pointed red ears. He was expecting more of a meeting of other promoted and new intellectuals played by a small orchestra... Or at least a quartet of some kind but... A laser flashed directly into his eyes and he was momentarily blinded. 

As his vision returned, he saw that other people around him seemed to be in just as awkward of a situation as he was. None of them had brought a book like he had, and this certainly wasn't the proper place to do any kind of reading. His clawed hands flexed around his tome as he took another long... long sip of his water. Soon he would need to leave his corner to get more, or maybe he could just break the whole facade and just retire early. The tension was leaving a greasy film in his mouth that no amount of water could wash away. At least the music was drowned out and he didn't have to hear the smashing of drums or that beyond awful singer.

[jaistlyn 8193]

Delistair didn’t recognize the young man who came up to them, but he was enthusiastic enough. When Cadmium mentioned Ballroom Blitz, Del looked around in slight alarm at the other members of the band. He knew the song, but it wasn’t easy to pull off without any preparation. It was also wilder than he would have preferred. “..Well, it-“ 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the drummer giving him a big grin, then he started playing the rolling groove of the song’s intro. “Del, are you ready?” He yelled over at him, in both a tribute to the song, as well as a good-natured challenge. 

“Yeah..” Delistair was uncertain at first, but the drummer’s energy was no doubt infectious, and the rest of the band also nodded at him. Well, he supposed there was nothing to lose even if they tripped up. They were here to let loose after all. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah! Let’s goooo!”

The venue erupted in a burst of energy, people yelling and jumping along to the fast paced song, the beats drumming their spirits up to a peak. The band wasn’t perfect, but it was their own, and there was no lack of fervour in their performance.

[supernal 22146]

The song called for three guitarists – a lead, a rhythm, and a bass. The band had one guitarist already, and Cadmium's made two.

But, at a distance, it seemed like Cadmium could play for two all his own. His hands moved along the strings of his guitar as if driven by their own mad purpose, eliciting a range of sounds one would not have thought possible with a mere two hands and one guitar.

What could only be perceived at the distance of his bandmates, if they were not too engrossed in the challenges of their own role for the song, was that at times the strings on Cad's guitar plucked themselves. His fingers did one thing and the guitar did another thing of its own volition. Inspection of the instrument and knowledge of Cad's family history revealed the secret – they were metal strings, and the Metireal family were notable for their innate metallurgical abilities.

Cadmium played with a degree of finesse unmatchable by manual dexterity because he was cheating a little bit. And in this fashion they carried on. Cadmium even went so far as to maneuver himself closre to the microphone and joined Delistair on the next stanza. Though his voice did not lilt as beautifully as Delistair's, it matched the energy of the song.

"And the band started leaving!
Cause they all stopped breathing!"

As if on a pre-arranged cue, the band took a collective breath and held it for three heartbeats, meanwhile letting silence dominate the venue. Then, an explosion of sound and music.

"YEAH! YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!"

Concluding their song over the last remaining minute saw Cadmium broken out into more than a single sweat; his forehead was shiny and his shirt clung to his frame but would soon dry out. As they moved off the stage to let the band resume their scheduled programming, Cad held a hand out to Del, and introduced himself with a faint pant.

"Thanks for playing along with me, I would have looked the fool otherwise. I'm Cadimum."

Note – Trigger: Sing

Edited June 8, 2018 by supernal

[roboblu 1005]

Maya Zapatero was fashionably late to the party, albeit unintentionally. She had made the mistake of calling her parents before heading out for base 34, and had been subjected to a typical, uncontrollable stream of nostalgia from both her mother and father. Both were retired operatives, and lived vicariously through their daughter's military career. It had been an entire forty-five minutes of "do you remember"s and "when I was your age"s before Maya politely excused herself, then hastily switched off her twin-crystal communicator without waiting for much of a response. The damage had been done; the young diplomat ended up rushing out of her apartment over half an hour late, and had been bullied by her mother into changing her outfit. Instead of the simple grey frock she had intended to wear, Maya was now wearing her mother's old gown, which the former sniper had worn "for her first military ball, where I first met your father and had my first taste of fire whiskey and gosh, even danced on a table and blah blah blah." It wasn't that the gown didn't suit Maya, but the sudden change in appearance had left her feeling more than a little self-conscious. It didn't help that her mother had insisted she decorate her spiraling ram horns with synthetic pearls, highlighting one of her most alienating physical features. 

The feeling of self-consciousness only amplified when she stepped into the reception hall and was immediately surrounded by strangers. Everyone was dressed to the nines, a stark departure from the typical prim-n-proper military protocol, and it was difficult to recognize even the most familiar of faces. As Maya wandered through the hall, trying to find a friend (Gaia, she had made friends in her past five years with the military, hadn't she?) the music became more lively, the air electrified with sound and life. She felt heavy bass reverberate through the floor, shaking her bones as she walked- and, and her heart. The young diplomat grabbed the back of a chair as her heart began thumping irregularly, remnants of an attack she had experienced just three years earlier. Although her recovery had been successful, the episode had necessitated the end of combat duty and the start of something new and less active: diplomacy. Maya let out a long breath, straightening up, saving face. She was in no danger, but the sensation was certainly uncomfortable; it felt as if someone were whacking her ribcage from inside her chest cavity. 

As the song drew to a close, Maya picked up her skirts and made her way over to the band, who seemed to be coming down from a high. "Excuse me- would you mind playing something a little slower for the next one?" She asked, a bashful smile playing around her lips. "Let's see, I don't really know any good ones ... How about 'Chasing Cars'?" The band complied, lulling some calm into the room. Some exhausted partiers left the dance floor to grab refreshments, while others took an opportunity to chat or ask that special someone to dance. Maya took a deep breath, made her way over to a standing table, and let herself relax into the festivities. 

Trigger - Asking the DJ to play a specific dance track (x3)

Edited June 14, 2018 by roboblu

[PandaHat 2589]

"Come on!" She said with a laugh. If Nur and Hana joined her, she demonstrated the rhythm by clapping her hands and tapping her right foot. She was grinning. People were dancing around her. When they did join her, she gestured towards them. "Can you hear the rhythm?" She yelled at them both. Maira moved from clapping to snapping and circling them. This was all done in phases. "Let your body feel the rhythm. Start by moving your hips." She yelled, moving her hips to the music. "There's not really a right way! I guess that's how art works!" She gently gestured towards Nur to hold her hand. 

"You can hold my hand." She allowed him to touch her hand. Then she turned to Hana. "You can move your shoulders along with your hips like this." She rose a finger. "But most of all, have fun!" Maira looked up at Cadmium and Delistair and offered them a whistle. As the song went on, everyone seemed to be having a good time and that was something that she definitely needed. The tempo of the music would change after a few minutes. 

The Colonel was not sure what to do, but she was secretly glad. "This one isn't so bad to dance to." The plaid-clad woman walked up to the pair. "Nur, you put her hand on her shoulder. Alenko, you put your hand on his hip. Now, both of you hold hands." She said quickly. Then she smiled. "Now, you two can either sway or wander around the dance floor. Or whatever. I...uhhh..." She thought about her dancing lessons with Hector, which were mostly forced. She figured they were useless at the time. What a time for them to come in handy! At this point, Maira was looking for someone she can dance with in order to show them what to do. 

Spoiler

Not sure if there are any triggers...