☆TRACK VI: THE NEW AMERICANA

[interdimanagers]

Who: All the rescuers...and DAFT PUNK.
What: The rescuers enter Vista City for the first time.
When: January 20th, 2055
Where: The ship, the coast, and outer Vista City.
Warnings: Could basically be anything.

“Viral mess turned dreams into an empire. Self-made success now she rolls with Rockefellers. Survival of the richest, the city's ours until the fall. But we don't feel like outsiders at all.” ☆THE NEW AMERICANA Your arrival on Tera doesn’t exactly happen with a bang – though maybe that’s a good thing, given that this is supposedly a stealth operation. The ship firsts touches down somewhere in the ocean, at which point it hovers above the waves for a few hours while Shep “touches base” with some “contacts.” This is your time to get ready, to collect any gear you’ve been assigned, and to talk over initial plans with your new teammates. You’ve been given a rough outline of what to expect upon reaching actual land. You’re going to be dropped off in the ring of forested land outside of the city, at which point you are to access a hidden stash of supplies that has been planted there for you and head into the city, where a second stash of supplies will be waiting for you in the outer ring of the city. It will probably be a long walk. From the onboard supplies everyone will be given the following: ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING: if your character doesn’t already speak English, they will be given some time with a crown like technological device that seems the be able to psychically teach people languages at a rapid pace. Whatever has been enabling communication so far won’t cover you once you enter the city, so it’s important that you’re prepared. How easily a person’s brain accepts this information will vary based on unseen neurological factors, and can range from perfect fluency to an uneasy second language. (On an OOC level, whether or not your character struggles with picking up English is completely up to you.) Most of this training will be done on the trip to Tera. THEIR DESIGNATED TOOLS: any items your character was designated on your application will be given to them now. They’ll have some degree of choice in what they get, but everything is limited in supply. There are manuals for everything, but how much you can be fucked to read them will vary. Also, some of them aren’t in English or anything else even remotely recognizable. COMMUNICATION DEVICES: Everybody will get a communicator, which are worn around the back of your ear and project a holographic field over your eyes when activated. The device itself must be manually switched on with your fingers, and from there on out your exact method of controlling it depends on the settings. Some of the more basic functions can be manipulated with “brain waves” (though nothing very complicated) and the rest is mostly voice or touch activated, though you can also set it up to be controlled with blinking and eye movement if you are a “pro”. Its functions include voice, voice-to-text, and a sort of janky manual text mode that you have to touch the screen to use. Video chat is not available, though it is capable of recording video from your POV to be shared manually after the fact. It can also share still images. Various channels can be set up and accessed, both private and public, much like a Teamspeak server is used in gaming. HOLO EMITTERS (LIMITED): The amount of these available are limited by “plot convenience.” Do you want your character to have to struggle with their alien appearance to get by constantly? Then imagine there wasn’t enough of them to go around and your character was unlikely or benevolent enough to not receive one. Would you rather they have access to one? Then you can have one. A holo emitter is capable of projecting a holographic image around your character and disguising their appearance, the complexity of which is entirely up to you. The major problems with it are that 1) it can’t conceal things that the hologram doesn’t actually touch – cow horns could be covered in a hologram to look like a hat, but it couldn’t make them look as if there is nothing there at all, and 2) the holograms have no mass, and so if anyone tries to touch them they’ll realize they are just light projections. Also, like most of the equipment, they only work for a few hours before running out of power. ☆STASH NUMBER ONE: THE FOREST Once Shep has made sure things are prepared and everyone has their stuff, the ship will very briefly skirt close enough to the shore for people to disembark. The beach seems totally free of witnesses, and once you’ve hit land it’s a short run to the tree line. A few random people will have map information uploaded into their communicators (Usagi, Saitama, Reborn, Pearl, and Sparks Nevada are the lucky winners) and will be put in charge of making sure everyone navigates to the first stash correctly, and then into the outskirts of the city where a meet-up point and a second stash of equipment is located. The directions are not complicated, but it’s a lot of people to shepherd around incognito. How everybody handles this is completely up to the characters. Meanwhile, Shep is piloting the ship back off into the ocean to hide it somewhere. He says he’ll meet you in the city at some point, and that he’ll keep in contact via the communicators. Stay safe, and good luck! The first stash is about a twenty minute walk into the forest, and should be found with relative ease. It is basically just a few large, plastic tubs buried beneath soil and moss, and has to be dug up like treasure. Inside of it lies the following: AMERICANA DISGUISES: Clothing, make up, the works – everything the average joe needs to pass themselves off as a resident of Vista City. Outfits are perhaps a bit more eccentric and flashy than you’re used to...or maybe a bit less, depending where you come from. Either way, it’s a specific look, and there should be enough here to accommodate new outfits for all the humanoids. If you’re a horse, you’re sort of on your own. What your character ends up with is up to you, though “space rave” is a good way to describe common aesthetics. There are also a lot of hooded coats, hats, and other articles that would be good for hiding inhuman characteristics. RATIONS: Enough food at water, tightly compact, to last everyone for a few days. It’s going to start to run out quickly, though, so the group is going to need some breadwinners sooner rather than later. A WELCOME CARD: A welcome message from these two with their selfie printed on the front. Written inside are the following messages: “Glad you could make It! ♥ –Gold” and ”Welcome to hell. ☺ -Silver”. They are both in the same handwriting. From there, the maps only lead further into the city. ☆STASH NUMBER TWO: CITY BOUND You'll quickly notice that Vista City comes with multiple levels - the ground level, that actually touches the earth, and then a second level of streets and walkways that occurs halfway up the mountainous buildings. Cars streak down both sets of speedways, and the signs of life scatter every inch of the towers surrounding you. At the same time, though, a city of this magnitude leaves a lot of nooks and crannies left frequently unseen - something you'll definitely have to take advantage of. In the outer ring of the city the population is less dense than it gets towards the center, so at the least it gives you the opportunity to get your bearings. You'll find that there is no shortage of people stalking around in the darkness, even as the sun sets and night totally takes hold. A lot of them are dressed pretty funny, too, and any insecurities you had about looking ridiculous can tentatively be put aside. The costumes you were left do allow you to blend in about as well as you could hope. If the navigation team holds true, you'll be able to make it to the next stash in good time. You've been advised to avoid talking to locals as much as possible, at least until you've figured things out better. There is a notable absence of homeless people on the streets, which could mean any number of things. The place you end up at is, unsurprisingly, a warehouse. One of the few entirely flat buildings in the cityscape, the maps will lead into the center of the building. You try the door. It opens. When you go inside, you aren't alone. The floor is littered in blankets and what passes for foam mattresses. Waiting with them is the silver helmeted figure from the welcome card earlier. They usher you in hastily and ask you some cursory questions about whether you've been followed. When they seem satisfied, they'll tell you that you can spend the night here. "This is the first and last time you can stay here," they'll say, gesturing around. "This was Gold and I's launchpad for the last little while, and we're junking it after this. I recommend you follow our example. Don't stay any one place too long, and don't travel in one huge group. If you do that, one bad night will pin you all down." Silver will pass out what is apparently enough fake IDs for everyone in the ship - complete with each individual's image (or a human approximation) and a made up name. It's enough info to get a job with, they'll explain, if you can manage it. Avoid pushing the forgery's limits, though, if you can. They made them themselves so they expect they are excellent quality, but you can never be too careful. "...Most importantly," they'll finish. "Don't go looking for the prisoners right now, as much as you might want to. If you fuck that up, you'll fuck this up for everyone - and I'll tell you right now, other people have already invested a lot more blood and tears into this than you have. Respect that." Silver will stay for a few more hours, and then Gold will appear to take over, bringing snacks and hot chocolate with them. Get a good sleep, you'll need it. “We are the new Americana. High on legal marijuana, Raised on Biggie and Nirvana. We are the new Americana.”

Comments

☆NPC INTERACTIONS

[interdimanagers]

Here is where you can chat up Silver and Gold in the warehouse for Stash 2, or you can message Shep via the communication system.

SHEP

[interstellarebels]

[Is still on the space ship.]

[heroforfun]

[Actually, this would've been when he picked up a communicator with a map and found out he had to lead people--]

Wait, what's "incognito" mean to you? I'm not a ninja.

[interstellarebels]

[Shep looks...sort of surprised that this is being questioned.]

Well...I dunno. Just not drawing attention to yourself? You know that's a big part of this mission, right?

Re: SHEP

[baseball_baka]

[ Probably used to seeing him. He sort of watched from the background while Shep landed the ship. Landing is an important skill to learn after all. He thinks he's got it down. So, this is it then. No more lessons on "don't touch that, we'll get lost in 1734 on the other side of the known universe" for him. He commits what he's got to memory and gives the man that's been his "teacher" an appropriately polite bow. ]

Thank you for humoring me with all the lessons, Shep-san. I really appreciate it.

[interstellarebels]

No problem.

[He laughs it off.]

Just hoping you won't have to use the skills, y'know?

[Because the only way he can imagine not being the one flying the ship would be if he was dead.]

[avidita]

[Mammon does an actually responsible thing, and communicates with Shep each time the group makes any progress. "Made it to the first area." "City limits." "No one has wandered off and gotten hit by a car."]

[This time is no different.]

From what I count, everyone has arrived at the last destination for today.

[interstellarebels]

[There's a little bit of a delay, and then:]

Great. Thanks for the update! Er...Updates.

Load off my mind, y'know.

[eba02]

Ground control to Major Tom. How're you holdin' up out there?

[interstellarebels]

[There's always a little bit of a delay when Shep responds - he's obviously distracted.]

Everything's good out here! Just getting ready to head back for land. How about you guys?

SILVER

[interstellarebels]

[Doesn't want to be here.]

[determinate]

[That silver-helmeted person doesn't seem all that happy. But that's no reason to be rude, so Frisk approaches and offers a handshake. Instead of a name, they hold out an ID card, which identifies them as Frisk, Royal Ambassador of the Monster Kingdom.

It looks very official. It's stamped with an unfamiliar symbol, and a King Asgore has apparently signed it.]

[interstellarebels]

[Now, to a lot of people this would be adorable. Charming. Endearing. Silver mostly just can't believe that Shep recruited a 5 year old.

It takes a few moments, but then Silver very tentatively shakes Frisk's hand.]

Is that real, or did you make it yourself?

[avidita]

[Silver might recognize this shorty as one of the people who answered pretty succinctly all his questions about being followed, like they're used to such things. They come back after his little speech, however.]

So I take it that something happened recently to put our enemies on edge?

[charleslee]

[Connor comes down from his latest trip up near the windows - it's as much about learning to move in these clothes as working off all his anxious energy, jeans are so restrictive - and ends up landing near Silver. Which gives him a bit of a start since, well. There's been a lot to take in and adjust to, but this whole machine-helmet-person situation is pretty out there. But still, he approaches them. A little cautious and trying not to stare because Achilles taught him better than that]

If I may ask... [Which he's clearly hesitant to do, but curiosity gets the better of him.] What made you choose to do all of this?

[eba02]

[The tune hits J like a sledgehammer once they get close enough to the warehouse. There's something infectious and powerful about it, and it's all he can do to concentrate on the instructions Silver is giving. He waits long enough to get settled in, but he can't resist the call; it's like a moth to flame at this point.]

[He gives himself an excuse to approach Silver when he notices some of the other rescuers unwittingly moving in sync with that tune - not the Music itself, but that specific tune. That doesn't happen outside of missions. It's a perfectly legitimate excuse to investigate. Right.]

[He heads towards Silver with an easy smile. We're all friends here, right?]

Penny for your thoughts?

[heroforfun]

[He's come up to get his ID, and he's a bit surprised at the fake name.]

Are they actually going to be able to track our real names here, or what?

GOLD

[interstellarebels]

[Brought hot chocolate.]

[baseball_baka]

[ they aren't saying anything Takeshi doesn't already live and breathe every single day. It's not the Vongola hunters he has to watch out for now and there's a ton of other people here he has to protect. But there's more than that. And it's not just his wonderful fake ID with "John Doe" as his name.

He takes the chocolate, but it's not for him. He'll give it to someone else that looks like they need it because that's who he is. ]

Just one thing. How will we contact you? Should we need you? Or will you be coming to us?

[avidita]

[Free things? Excellent. Mammon takes the hot chocolate without complaint.]

So I take it your partner handles the more serious seeming things, and you help with emotional damage control, hm?

[At least, that's what they're guessing.]

[lightthedarkness]

I don't suppose you have hot chocolate to share? [Because of course her first question is about food, why wouldn't it be?]

[rising_wing]

[When was the last time Riku even had hot chocolate? Before... before he let the darkness consume his home. He hadn't had time since, even with the Destiny Islands being brought back from the darkness, what with trying to get Sora's memories put back together and then when he got home... just never thought about it. He takes some and smiles at gold]

Thank you.

[He takes a drink and then asks]

Is there any new information you can give us?

[eba02]

[Usually, this level of dissonance in a tune means that someone's about to have a total breakdown. Usually, this is way past mission level and into "somebody call an ambulance, this is going to turn into medical trauma if it hasn't already" level.]

[Then again, usually the dissonance is fracturing within one tune, not two tunes fighting each other in the same person.]

[It's the worst mashup ever, and it's absolute hell to listen to. Still, J sucks it up, tries to focus on one over the other for the sake of giving his brain a rest, and heads over to Gold, smiling.]

I gotta ask if it has marshmallows.

[fromearth]

You start most undercover missions with sweets and a sleepover?

[ It's not as much a criticism as it sounds, seeing as he's gladly taking a cup. ]

[woomy]

Hot chocolate!

[ Agent 3 brightens when she's offered a mug. It reminds her of when she celebrated Team Marshmallow's Splatfest win in Camp Triggerfish. That thought has her wondering about something else. ]

Do you have any marshmallows?