⇨ POLARIS 3.0

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 115
Where: Polaris
What: On the morning of day 115, a couple hours before the technicians would come to pick up the test subjects, the escape plan will officially come into effect. If your character has been left out of the loop up till this point, feel free that someone hastily explains the plan during the initial phase! The meat of everything else will be played out via megathreads and any private toplevels people want to make.
Warnings: Probably violence.

PEER REVIEW↴ The plan starts with getting everyone out of their cells. Childermass is going to be using his Gilded Mark to enhance his shadow movement abilities, unabling him to teleport himself and other people out of containment. If your character has other ways of escaping they are free to pursue that, but on a base level, it can be assumed that everyone gets out thanks to Childermass. (Thanks Childermass!) Once everyone has been removed from their cells by some means or another, they will be forced to split into teams as swiftly as possible, as the moment people start breaking out, negative attention from the staff will start building. The area is poorly guarded at first, but as people become aware of the breakout, more will arrive. Gild, speaking on behalf of her inside plant, will say that those that 1) want to get their stuff back, 2) want to find Ignatius, should get the assistance of their allied Deltas to access sector A5. From there, they will have to access Polaris's storage in A3, a neighbouring sector, and find access to C2, the station where Ignatius is being held. They should expect to be met with armed resistance, but with any luck allies will be there to assist them. In general, characters will be most effective if they back one of these major objectives: ► TEAM LOOT: This team is trying to get back the items and pets that were confiscated when the group was brought into Polaris. Their objective, according to their allies on the inside, is to get to A5, and then make their way to A3. The important thing is being able to locate their stuff among a sea of other items, and to make it through security in order to reclaim it. Gild's plant has said that they will assist with this. After getting these items, Team Loot may wish to merge with Team Rescue. ► TEAM RESCUE: This team's primary focus is to get to A5 and then make their way to C2. If desired, they may wait for or join with Team Loot, or they may strike out ahead in order to take advantage of the element of surprise. The key factors are obtaining a way to access C2, as well as being prepared for armed conflict with the technicians guarding it, as well as possibly the Mother of Invention herself. Though, the ideal is that Gild will be distracting here at that time. ► TEAM DISTRACTION: This team can do their thing wherever they please, as their main intent is to sew general discord and distract the staff from the teams doing more important things. They should be prepared for armed resistance, but what tactics they pursue beyond that point are highly variable. ► TEAM FORTRESS: This team is attempting to set up a protective base of operations in the original sector in order to survive the conflict and protect their noncombatant comrades. How they accomplish this is also highly variable. Other objectives may exist, of course, and can be made with their own separate top levels. Chunks of these megathreads will have to be played out in summary form, so when characters are simply trying to get from place to place and specifics aren't necessary, feel free to stick to that format. Assume that everyone is already out of their cells for the purpose of the megathreads. Here is a shitty map of how the sectors connect, from a side view of the central Polaris hub.

Comments

[hippocarnival]

"I saw that..." Yuya's expression pinches with worry, tilting his head as if that'll give him a better view of his back. Not so, given the angle.

"Are they growing back?" That's like losing a bunch of hair, right? Maybe not totally painful, but still really alarming.

[betheman]

"Auuh, slowly..." He murmurs. By this point, Gongenzaka moves to sit a little less sprawled and sleepy-like, though he keeps holding the other's hand.

"If I, the man Gongenzaka, still had my scroll perhaps it would help...for now however, it is but a matter of time."

[hippocarnival]

These hands are permanently attached now.

He'd recommend Steven, but everyone in peril again means he's probably already working hard on the actual injuries like Yuya's. Maybe another time. He hums with agreement, letting out a weary sigh.

"I'm glad they didn't force you into any trials in the end."

[betheman]

His expression tightens painfully at that- for a moment. He reels himself in quickly, even if his voice cracks at the start. "A...aauh, in..indeed they did not," he manages. "...It is... ...it was fortunate," he continues. "...if a trial had come, it could have thrown certain parts of the planning off, hnn?"

[hippocarnival]

"Yeah." Yuya raises a brow. "But I'm more worried that they didn't hurt you, or... put something in you."

Like Reira, and all the other names of people who were called for those mandatory trials. And even a lot of the voluntary ones, with no notion of how bad it was or how much their bodies would be screwed around with.

[betheman]

Well. He shakes his head. "...aah. You cam be assured, they did not."

It's pretty clear there is an awkward sort of survivors guilt at play here though.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya smiles, reassuring in the face of Gongenzaka's blatant uncertainty. He squeezes his hand.

"I'm just being selfish, that I want you to be safe the most." Well, besides Reira. But that's mostly because Reira's a child.

[betheman]

Alright- not only does Gongenzaka have to break into laughter there, the cheetah is joining in.

"PhfhfhahaAHAHAAA! Yuuys..! I should be telling you the same, I think..!"

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's face flushes, grabbing Gongenzaka's hand tighter at the outburst. "Well it's true! Especially if you feel the same..."

Not so much because those feelings need a return as that's all the more example of how much they mean to each other. And that always puts a flutter in his chest, even if this is not the time or space to gush at Gongenzaka (but he wants to).

[betheman]

The chuckling doesn't stop- though it softens, with Gongenzaka quietly laughing until it breaks into tears. Marishi, briefly, seems worried- but it passes, as Gongenzaka tries to hold the other close without actually moving him, acting as though perhaps Yuuya were made of glass.

"...Is it not good then, that the 'morning' is over..?" He wheezes, the very start of the conversation echoing in his ears. "...Yuuya..." He is crying, now. A dull, quiet river of tears mixed with grief and relief all at once. "...I, the man Gongenzaka, am..."

Glad they're alive. Glad, but all too aware of the scars that will soon act in ways worse than the initial gashing blows delivered by this place.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's expression falls a little as Gongenzaka covers over him, tears dripping down onto his face that make him hyper aware of them. He sucks in a sharp breath, and even if Gongenzaka isn't projecting his feelings from his soul, Yuya feels their weight heavily.

He lets go of his hand, then, a bit reluctantly, and reaches to cradle the side of Gongenzaka's face. "I know. Me too."

[betheman]

Frankly, his soul hurts way too damn much to do more than summon Marishi. Actually that also hurts.

But he missed her.

Gongenzaka holds as tightly as he dares, and it is difficult, trying to form words through tears. 'I love you', he almost says, more than once- but his throat is simply too tight. And finally-

"...I, the man Gongenzaka...am so glad to have you here with me..."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's hand trembles a little as tears well up in his eyes as well.

"Yeah." Even if a part of Yuya knows that, were he not here, Gongenzaka's contract would have ended in Wismuth. He wouldn't have seen all the terrible things that came after. He'd be safe at home... but Reira and Yuzu wouldn't have been. And as painful as it is, maybe this was the better route.

They found something in each other they might not have otherwise, after all. "We're going to get through all of this together."

[betheman]

"...Auh," Gongenzaka replies- and he makes an effort to wipe away his tears so that nuzzling isn't awkward. "Auh...we shall," he assures Yuuya, still holding the other close.

He falls silent like that- breathing quietly, simply appreciating the other being there. However...

"Bff! Bowwf!" With snuffling half barks, someone else is nosing in, jealous of the attention. She proceeds to start giving Yuuya and Gongenzaka both big doggo kisses because that is how Suzu do.

"Mn- AUH-!! S-SUZU-!"

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's content like this, his breathing falling into pace with Gongenzaka's.

Until Suzu butts in. It startles Yuya, looking sideways at her in surprise. Trying to get between them, though, basically involves stepping on Yuya. And while normally that's fine...

Yuya lets out a wailing cry when he's trampled. "Suzu, no--!" Don't step on the shoulder don't step on the shoulder--

[betheman]

Upside- she's not really trampling anyone but Gongenzaka. She has been trained well! Downside-

"Gkff...HHHFHFH...S...SUZU, THIS IS TICKLISH..!"

The Attack Goes On.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's going to stay still like maybe if he doesn't move she won't turn on him. At least watching Gon be smothered with affection is safe.

Gon has a type and that is Needy.

[betheman]

No dice Yuuya. Sputtering, Gongenzaka pulls away as gently as he can, so that he doesn't jostle Yuuya about. The consequence is that Suzu is now sitting beside two options- Gongenzaka's leg...or...

...Yuuya's face.

(...She picks face.)

[hippocarnival]

"Ah--" Yuya tries to jerk his face away, but given his inability to move otherwise, it ends up being pretty futile. "Okay, okay! Suzu, calm down!"

Yuya exerts absolutely no command here.

[betheman]

Coughing, Gongenzaka is still useless- eventually however, Marishi will gently tug the pooch away by the ear. "Yes, yes, you're very excited...but they both need rest, so try to calm down..!" the daemon scolds, her other half focusing on Yuuya again.

"Ahahhh... S...She did not agitate anything, did she..?" he manages, trying not to laugh over the interruption to their 'calm'.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya reaches to wipe dog slobber off his face. Jeez, he loves Suzu but that's a bit too much when he's stuck lying down with one working arm.

"No, I'm okay... I guess she was really lonely locked up with the rest of our stuff."

[betheman]

"Ahaha...she did not have much time to get reacquainted with us, so I, the man Gongenzaka, suppose that once she woke up to find the danger had passed..."

Well. Relieved pooch. Happy pooch. Or maybe she simply thought they needed something to laugh over? "Aaah, well...I, the man Gongenzaka, should thank you for retrieving all of that, hmm? You were with that group after all."

[hippocarnival]

"I didn't do much." The travel they brought him along for didn't end up being needed, after all, so Yuya's not inclined to take the credit that he did much.

"But you don't have to thank me for doing something that was just as much for myself." Both in getting his own things back and making sure that his friends retrieved theirs.

[betheman]

"You helped, did you not? That is something," he replies, beaming.

As it is- now that he's properly awake, he stands and stretches. "Mnhh....sahh...now that we are rid of those suits however, I, the man Gongenzaka, am feeling hunger returning...no doubt you feel the same," he adds, looking to the other. "...The store has since been broken into... ...if you wish for me to get you something..?"

Choose Wisely, Yuuya. Don't get nothing but chips.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya doesn't even know what they have besides chocolate, but he perks up at the mention of food. "Oh--yeah! Uh, whatever you can find."

He's not feeling picky after the ten days of simulated starvation.