W1 🛸 MOD CYOA: THE HANGING GARDENS 🚀 BOWLCUTS + ANIME HAIR

[dropoffs]

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START: in horror's wake, hope was a bountiful garden

[dropoffs]

MISSION: START

[ when you awaken - when did you fall asleep, actually? - you'll find that your surroundings are those of a small ship's seating, sterile but comfortable, where you are strapped in for your own safety. Were you dressed in your Eudora-issued flightsuit before..? well, either way, you are now!

outside the round, reinforced window is a lush, green planet, atmosphere filled with thick and fluffy clouds that break up the verdant world waiting for you. the window doubles as a screen, words and data filtering across the clear surface, all of it about a planet called Verdure. it includes the current planetary time, temperatures of the surface where your vessel coasts closest above, a few points of interest whose locations are indicated by tags made on the planet.

stowed away in the storage compartments inlaid in the walls of the space are helmets for your suits, along with assorted tools and even weapons for your convenience. oddly, as well, there are... fancy outfits? as if you are being primed for a special occasion, with even some elegant and matching masks. there are a small handful of choices in each of your sizes available to you, so you haven't necessarily been assigned a particular outfit for what's in store for you - but you don't exactly have that many choices, either.

a familiar voice eventually chimes in over an intercom, still filtered as always but there's something new to their tone as they speak: ]

 

... hm.

Rise and shine, everyone. Hopefully you all got some rest on the way out here? You'll get used to the short distance lightspeed jumps, eventually, but getting some shuteye does tend to help quite a bit. At least in my opinion: a nap can fix most anything.

Anyways, we'll be arriving at Verdure here in about thirty minutes give or take. Plenty of time for you to gear up and review the docket for the mission - you're all new, this tour, but this is a pretty common task we've performed. If you have any questions, get them in now.

I'm mostly going to be your mission control, so that I can pilot the ship, but I'll help how I can.

[ adrastea's voice fades, but the comm line remains open with a blinking light in familiar blue in the top right corner (insomuch as a circular window can have a "corner," anyways) of the screen.

but there's also now a timer, with ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME marked above it, at the bottom of the screen beneath the scrolling information available to you. better get started. No time to waste!

should you investigate the built-in storage, you will each find the following: ]

◇ Your helmets, obviously. A button on either side can be pressed to retract the entire thing into an earpiece, to whichever side the button you pressed was on. Press it again to pop the helmet back out over your head.
◇ Your flight suits, which can be converted into a bracelet by pressing two fingers down over your pulseline. Repeating the gesture will unfurl the suit under whatever you're wearing in case of emergency.
◇ A variety of tools, which you are allowed to pick and choose from. This largely includes: industrial, but compact, flashlights; lengths of flexible wire rope, up to 15 feet long at most; knives, meant for cutting through tough materials, both foldable and sheathed; mattocks, hatchets, hammers; 12 inch prybars; screwdriver style multitools with a power drill function; medium sized first aid kits; and old fashioned compasses, just in case.
◇ A total of three outfit options each, with matching masks and accessories, all appropriately sized for each individual on the mission. Get fancy. Mix and match if you desire to get creative. You'll certainly have to get creative if you want to bring any equipment, after all!
◇ Again, for each of you, a weapon of your choice. Don't think too hard about ammunition or charges, should it require that, but keep in mind that they'll still need reloading, should you fire them. Sheaths, holsters, and straps are included if needed.

[ unfortunately for everyone, hopefully you're comfortable with one another, because... well, there's nowhere private to change into your new getups.

but, additionally, adrastea mentioned a docket, didn't they? turns out the window screen is touchable, responding to all four of your touches and registering your identity through wireless communication between it and your nanites. you may manually scroll through the information provided, clicking through the various tabs and links that are visible in highlighted words, specific images, and data files attached to the docket. ]

What you come to learn is that Verdure is a small, forested planet, with a dense atmosphere that causes a greenhouse effect and a lush spread of vegetation across a majority of the surface. For the most part, it isn't inhabited, so it doesn't have an official population, but it does have frequent enough traffic instead. Many neighboring planets seem to see Verdure as a fount of resources, or somewhere to visit as a novelty, not somewhere to live.

The aforementioned points of interest are few and far between, to support this: a few outposts for collection of resources; an inland, freshwater sea that comprises a quarter of the planet's surface; and the Hanging Gardens. Most outposts are established closest to this unnamed sea, numerous small spacefaring ships coming and going, to and from their motherships, collecting the wealth of this planet for others. Exploration is slow, a low priority being built outwards from the sea.

[ but those outposts don't matter. the sea doesn't matter.

once you've completed your reading up about the planet itself, the outposts, the final docket of information locks on the screen. ]

THE HANGING GARDENS

 

Your destination is the Hanging Gardens, an estate of a sort that's been built north of the inland sea to preserve and protect a huge portion of the planet's natural beauty as the threat of colonization looms over it.

Named for what it is - at first glance, trees, flowering bushes and shrubs, and various vines have been planted and arranged everywhere in such a way to make it all look like it's hanging and draped across the grounds - the Hanging Gardens are a prime destination for a bored or flighty member of the spacefaring aristocracy. The construction of the estate is extraordinarily opulent, sprawling, and gilded, showing off the wealth of those that funded its creation.

Only the elite of the elite are allowed within the Hanging Gardens, to partake in the rubbing of elbows and posturing that the attendees of various parties that happen. Information about the going ons and happenings of any soiree within is practically next to none.

But that's why you're here, isn't it?

The goal of this mission is to infiltrate the latest party being held. While not a genuine masquerade in that identities are kept 100% secret, it isn't uncommon for many attendees to arrive in masks to certain celebrations, of their own volition; it's for propriety and privacy, you understand.

With your questionably attained invitations to this shindig, once you manage to integrate yourself into high society, you'll be required to complete the retrieval of an unfortunately classified item located in the heart of the gardens. It's only referred to as a heartseed, whatever that means - even Adrastea doesn't have an answer there, much to their annoyance. Fortunately, this particular shindig is one held yearly, where partygoers trek into the depths of the estate to admire something called the Blossoming Ceremony. You will, essentially, be walked right in, so long as nothing goes awry and you're not caught.

Let's get started!

TALK TO ADRASTEA

[dropoffs]

[ one of the two doors in the small ship lets out a pneumonic sigh as it opens, and adrastea steps out of what looks like an even smaller cockpit. they have a datapad under their arm, and the soft, faint blue glow from inside their helmet fills the void left by a lack of emoticons at the moment. they make their way with a steady clip of their heels across the floor to one of the seats, settling down and crossing one leg neatly over the other. ]

Alright. You've got a little time before we touch down - I'll be on board trying to clear a spacial disturbance that's blocking our path from leaving Strihira and heading to our next destination from here, while you four are meant to go rub elbows with the locals and see if you can't figure out if something planetside is actually the cause of it. Supposedly there's something called a "heartseed" featured at the center of the gardens, but we don't have much more intel than that.

But if you need me, I'll come and pick you up so we can get out of here and see if we can't find an alternative route instead.

[teenrebellion]

Adrastea-san. Did you seriously just kidnap us a second time?

[ girl help. ]

[dropoffs]

[ silent, for a moment. ]

It's not much of a consolation, but I don't actually recall getting on board the craft either.

[teenrebellion]

...Excuse me? Shouldn't that be a little more of a problem than you're acting?

[inquired]

Well. At least, I suppose, they asked this time.

[ hi adrastea. temenos is poking around the clothing, staff in one hand, tugging on fabric with the other.... investigating.... ]

Finding information and solving a puzzle...? I'm feeling a bit spoiled. Have you been down to this place, before?

[dropoffs]

Small mercies that you actually got the notice in advance, isn't it?

[ rueful, amused, but their head tilts thoughtfully. ]

No, not this planet. I've been on a mission like this of my own before to another one, though, so it's something that I've dealt with.

[inquired]

[ hmm, okay. thoughtful. ]

What was that like? Anything we can expect that might be the same?

[drymonster]

[ it's a very good thing thoughtshare isn't happening now because he's definitely just thinking "hope you do a better job with this than you do with the security systems~!" and feeling like all of his clothing options being dresses is a little pointed. ]

[dropoffs]

[ there's no emotionshare but adrastea is staring him down with the blue glow inside their helmet that has a very.

knifecat energy. it wasn't their choice but you deserve it, 3 inch. ]

[discomfort]

[ hello. he is trying to be polite but he is definitely the disgruntled teenager waking up meme about this. but yes. at least they were asked. ]

Is this normal...?

[ he assumes having to do special tasks is because it was mentioned in orientation but. help. ]

[dropoffs]

Yes, although the kidnapping again part isn't. But we're already here, so you guys can consider it a bit of a vacation to enjoy free rich things and time away from the ship if you wind up not fulfilling the mission.

[ just vibes with the disgruntled teenager energy of it all. it's fine. wakey wakey. ]

[discomfort]

I see...

[ ah, well. at least it's a different planet than the (looks at smudged writing on hand) sexy vampire planet they all know super well by now. ]

What sort of people will we run into?

MINGLE AND PREPARE

[dropoffs]

[ might as well discuss your plans, compare outfits as you decide on what you want to wear, or complain to one another about how you're not paid enough for these kinds of jobs. even though you have a presumably unlimited stipend. ]

[inquired]

[ i honestly just wanted to do fits. so, after changing and carefully setting aside his vestments and folding them, temenos ends up choosing... this one! he's buckling the cloak around his neck once he settles in, staff in hand, and turns a little, testing the material. swish, swish. some of it jingles softly every now and then. ]

I feel a bit like the Pontiff.

[ if pontiff jorg could see him now..... the masks are a little weirder, and he plucks up this one a touch thoughtfully, then peers around to see what the others are looking through... ]

[teenrebellion]

[ looks up from where he's digging through these fits and raises eyebrows. ]

That's... intense. But it suits you pretty well.

[inquired]

It's not that different from something one might wear for a more ceremonial occasion at home, honestly.

[ swish swish.... ]

Plenty of space to hide a weapon, I suppose. How does the selection look for you, Kazuki?

[discomfort]

[ hello...

owner is holding onto an outfit, with a mask hanging off his fingers. this is the most color you will ever see on him ever. ]

Ah...

[inquired]

All this red, Owner - I hardly recognized you.

[ teehee ]

[drymonster]

[ todomatsu is looking vaguely annoyed as he goes through his options, occasionally shooting Looks at adrastea, but finally he pulls this dress (and some matching underwear, help) off the rack with a little huff. just wait until you see how well he pulls this off!!!!


...and he does, in fact, pull it off remarkably well once he's got his wig and his matching mask on. like, he kind of legit rocks it. ]

So~? What do you think?

DECISIONS

[dropoffs]

[ once you've chosen your fits, tools, and weapons, please comment here for everyone's reference. once we have 4/4 we'll get started on descent! ]

[inquired]

[ fit, mask (tho with little teal bits instead of red bits for ~* aesthetic *~ . he'll take a small bag to put under his robes for stuff.

weapon is his staff of judgement! tools; flashlight, compass, foldable knife. maybe a roll of bandages from the first aid kit (castti voice) ]

[teenrebellion]

[ fit, mask, guitar, he is taking some extra accessories from other outfits too.

weapon: a knife!
tools: wire rope, guitar case??, uhhhh some of a med kit stuffed into the guitar case ]

[drymonster]

[ fit (with matching underwear, a wig, and a small handbag), mask

weapon: gun in a thigh holster
tools: screwdriver multitool and a flashlight in his handbag i guess? can change this if we decide we want to split things up differently ]

[discomfort]

[ fit, mask, a long black wig, small handbag

weapon is a katana hidden at his back, under the long cape
tools are rope, hammer, uh can edit this ]