RECYCLEDCRAFT: Space Sex Mystery?

[peridexion]

PREMISE (example)

You awaken on a train - or a sleek-feeling spacecraft, or a boat, or even a submarine.
The shape of the craft isn't important, or even immediately apparent - but you are here, a sealed, surprisingly comfortable room with a soft bed, whereas before you were home. If home was even where you wanted to be.

"Good morning, passenger," a voice purrs; you can feel a presence with it, but there's no indication anyone is in the room with you.

There is, however, a comfortable weight along your legs, your arms, your spine... something appears ready to keep you here for a while.

What will you do?

CONTEXT

What is this, exactly? This premise is a smut spinoff of a wider continuity - the 'space'craft your character is on has taken your character from their home. It - any and all pronouns are fine, and if you OOCly have a preference just give a heads-up in your starter comment and we'll go from there - has been through quite a time recently, having lost its crew and the programming that initially determined its purpose. (Some data/facts still remain for basic navigation and specialization - see the next entry!) Nor does it remember exactly how it happened, just that something terrible happened and it has to do things more on-its-own now.

But what it can still do is (A) interpret characters' emotions and respond accordingly, (B) provide safe and sturdy transport plus life support and (C) bond intensely with those now tied to it!

This can be for a one-on-one scenario, a group account, or even joint threading if everyone would like to put in the time to sort things out! Can start with the premise above, or can be time-skipped along to where both parties are familiar with one another.

OPTIONS

What kind of 'craft are you on, anyway?
The Ace - originally a sleek fighter craft, this one was made to take to space and the skies with impunity! Very flexible, good at interpreting orders, and still carries echoes of 'tude from its former crew. And now it's focusing all that energy on you. Think you can take it?

Star-Gazer - originally a solo-craft meant for exploration, this 'craft was built to take someone far, and to provide companionship to anchor someone to reality on the way. It's designed to be cozy, and is not meant to be shared. Maybe it remembers another name alongside yours, but it no longer recalls those memories consistently. But perhaps that isn't a bad thing...

Like the Lightning - this was a mercenary's craft, passed along from generation to generation. With acute knowledge of trade routes and meticulously-crafted stealth routines to take shelter on even the most unexpected worlds, its job is to do the job - but it can't do so alone, and that's where you come in. Such a partnership does come with benefits, as a matter of course.

The Lost One* - a missioncraft, badly damaged, better suited for a group than an individual... but it has found someone, and will desperately work to make sure they are safe. Believes very strongly in doing the Just thing, but now it doubts it knows how to determine that anymore. Appears to have lost everything twice over, and has just enough memory to make it very hard to accept things at face value. Befriending this one is the most difficult possibility, but it is doable - if you wish to sincerely try.

*This IS meant to poke fun at myself, to be clear.

GENERAL SCENARIOS

Introductions - Exactly what it says on the tin.
Visiting a World - Can be just shopping, can be a 'risk of getting caught' sort of deal, or you've caught whiff of Adventure. Each 'craft will have different reactions, of course, but fun CAN be had by all!
Voidstorm* - Traveling through one of these tends to have... unique effects. Usually ones that are temporarily bad for one's sanity, but not having to be alone during them is supposed to help. Or it can just make things weirder; you never know! Don't try to break the windows and go outside, though; that's never a good idea.

*I'm not changing what it's called, because I can't think of anything better to call it. To explain 'from the outside': imagine if sex pollen were a space phenomenon you could fly through, and be directly effected mentally/emotionally. Hallucinations, particularly shared hallucinations, are common. Seeing people you love outside and feeling compelled to go out there is also possible. Other possibilities include seeing emotions as aura colors, feeling compelled to speak and act on one's deepest feelings, and not being able to understand other languages.
You can see why sex pollen wouldn't be out of place here, right?

KINKS

Anticipated Content: Mindsharing, Voyeurism and/or Exhibitionism, Sense Play, Cuddling (through atypical means), Xenophilia, Mechanophilia, Vulnerability (Emotional, Physical), Light Bondage, Body Worship.
Personal Favorites (Not required for the premise, just ones I like): Biting, Sense-sharing, Orgasm Control, Sensory Overload, Slow-to-Warm-Up, Breastplay, Lactation.
Nos: Watersports/Scat, Bloodplay, Necrophilia.

Any kinks not listed under any of these are open to discussion, as well.

Comments

(frozen comment) /deep breath, TL;DR begins/

[peridexion]

It took its time observing, wondering how specifically he had come to pain through that first ship, but knowing better than to inquire.

Khina. An interesting word, and good to know, but it sent back the impression that there was still more, that this too was not quite right.

And so it did its best to describe Thistea's history with vehicles and steam, filtering out its own pain where necessary. An entire world where, due to its density of void metal, building anything meant for both travel and carrying people tended to disappear, sometimes with their people still on them.

Other methods evolved, but those quick eras of vehicles - small wheeled wagons, larger combustible or electric engines, and the majesty of planes, steam boats, and trains - all remained in the mind's eye of the populace, an ideal of nostalgia.

And then had come along another world, bringing itself into their skies quite by accident - not from the void itself but actual neighbors, who had not realized the potential of void metal accentuating their space program until literally just then.

Empaths forging the way for mutual translation, understanding, and of course trade. Thistheans could respect that void metal could be harnessed safely - just not on their world. Enrarans, in contrast, had taken to near-planet space with aplomb and sought to explore more - but not to cause needless harm to themselves or others.

They had found a balance, and when first brainstorming designs for voidcraft, vehicles of joint ventures, for which aerodynamics could be handwaved-

Steam engines had been right at the top.

It came to this conclusion with a small black emblem, a symbol of a steam train - then, erased it.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

And this is where the impression from Enki became a mix of predominantly confusion. If Thæs evolution had included steam engines at any point, the Rihanh had collectively forgotten it (And a great deal more) during the sundering. Rihan had settled a world post-space travel and with a technological know-how to prove it. Now, perhaps if he'd spent much time on any more populated world he would know trains, but he hadn't.

That said, he understood it was a means of transportation and that however they travelled, it wasn't quite space as he understood(which involved earlier concepts rather than just what the being showed him now). Something more akin to subspace, which most beings utilized for faster than light travel, but without a warp field was volatile to say the least. So was this an AI? Or had they come into being some other way?

Any images that accompanied the scattered thoughts were nonsensical and jumped around, and it was all followed by an apologetic wave. "I umm... I don't know those exact concepts. But a vessel that travels..." What was a good word? "The unknown?" He flushed as he said that one, frustrated with himself for not understanding.

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

It could empathize, much as the nature of empathy itself had become strained for it.

As had lined up on several levels before, they transmitted that the concepts - being considered an AI, not traveling by space or land or air or sea, but something else - were 'close enough'

If a system does not already have access to void travel, more often than not it is better off without it.

That was what it had learned for itself.

What would such a being be called?, however, was a much more natural next question.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

A pause. Uncertainty.

"Well, ummm... Hiera ih'Hwælnen is what I would use, but I... I don't know if that's even close." He rubbed at the back of his neck.

Hwælnen meant Journeyman, not in the Ænglish concept of the word, but closer in meaning to 'explorer', or perhaps more accurately, 'pilgrim' and hiera meant vessel. Honestly, even if a vessel could travel in a means beyond space, most would just use some variant on spaceship and skip the rest, but this was a conscious vessel, so including personhood in the description felt important to Enki. Of course, that particular combination would probably be rather difficult for someone who didn't speak Rihan to pronounce.

For all he didn't fully understand the void, he understood the concept enough. As a whole most cultures felt if a society was pre-warp, they were not to be interfered with and should be allowed to develop on their own. Because if they didn't develop that sort of technology naturally, they were often not ready for it and everything that came with it. Not that Enki was the kind of person who was likely to ever make any sort of first contact, but...

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

Hiera ih'Hwælnen

It didn't sound like a title, much less a name... but a descriptor was a descriptor, and even having it made it feel a little safer.

As for the rest of his thinking, Enki was more right than he knew, not that the voidcraft could make much comment directly on said thoughts.

There was a very-dampened whistling sound, an attempt at articulating what Enki had said. It was not going to use the intercom system for this!

... Come to think of it, that system might have been damaged on its way in. Whoops?

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

While not as loud as the previous day's, the whistle startled Enki and he jerked, looking in the direction it came from. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "You can trust me not to share anything you don't want shared." Vague, but it covered well beyond the concept of the void. He was Rihan, if there was one thing he could be trusted with it was a secret.

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

There was a sensation of away, as if it were looking askance.

It wasn't a matter of trusting Enki, awkward as that would no doubt sound. It was that it didn't know how to trust itself anymore-

If it ever really had.

But it did understand what he meant, and after a few moments more the cloaking dropped.

One moment, there was nothing but debris, plants and stones and things. And then there was a train.

All black, with the headlights dim, almost seeming to be crouching under the fallen limbs. There was no tender, no coaches accompanying it.

No name on its side either, though that was deliberate.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki couldn't help but understand that mental scoff as it were. He would have trouble trusting a stranger who said that. But he had meant it, in addition to not wanting to harm this being, he didn't want to bring harm to his people.

He raised an eyebrow as the vessel came into view. It was not anything he had familiarity with outside of context of this interaction. But it was no harder to accept than communicating mentally with someone.

"Will you be able to cloak again if needed? I don't think anyone else will come out here, but if they do?"

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

In response, the voidtrain simply disappeared again. This system worked perfectly fine, fortunate for all involved.

Hopefully it would better be able to mute its own 'aura', though. Eventually, people wanting to stay away would become suspicious, and after interacting with Enki it could better realize that.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki nodded, relaxing a bit to know that they could disappear again if needed. "Is um, is there anything else I can do to help you?" Were they stranded here? If they needed repairs he wasn't even sure where to begin. He'd gotten some basic lessons, but none of them covered something like well... this.

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

Given that Enki had been putting up with quite a bit so far, the voidcraft did its best to actually consider the question.

The next thing it transmitted amounted to a hapless shrug. It wasn't as if (A) Enki was a licensed therapist for voidcraft, let alone (B) it wanted such a treatment, even if it could prove to be beneficial.

But it wasn't interested in physical maintenance, having largely not needed it during the course of its work. Nor was it truly interested in intergrating into this world, not as such...

Companionship, though, that would be enough. Or rather, the most doable and palatable of the options it could consider.

'Leaving' did not make that list, either.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki raised an eyebrow at the impression of a shrug and then offered a small smile. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I could do much if you needed repairs or something."

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

This time, the voidcraft sounded almost... bemused?

If only...

Given how some of the matters that would require repairs were what also made it impossible to initiate new tethers (and thus, kept other people safe from it), it was just as well that things couldn't work out that way here.

Then it sent another image, this time just of the foliage around it, replaced by one of undamaged trees. Is there a way to fix this, however?

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki considered that for a long moment. "Not immediately. If you're worried about it drawing attention I can probably make it look a bit better for now, but umm... long term it would be a matter of seeing what needs cutting back and taking care of the rest." He was better with animals than plants, sure, but he'd gotten roped into helping enough around the farm at his old colony that he wasn't entirely lost.

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

Its concern was more for the wider forest, not about the wreckage itself giving it away.

It sent a brief burst of self-directed annoyance - it had no direct way to help remove what was damaged, and wasn't that just fitting? - but settled down, willing to be patient.

What else would help? Would it have to hide somewhere else somehow, even temporarily?

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki chewed his lower lip as he looked around. "I can take some scans, just check how much work is needed. If some trees need to come down completely, we can use them for building or furniture since the settlement is still in progress. And when you're able to leave I plan to ask some of the botanists to come out and work on any restoration that's beyond me."

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

There was a feeling of sadness, then - more than that, resignation.

But it accepted it as part of the rest of the feelings that had been crowding its mind the past few days or so.

After a few moments' thought, it sent an image of a tree pulled apart by ropes and levers, and a toolkit. Do you have what you need?

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki wrinkled up his forehead, confused at the sadness and resignation, but he wasn't sure how to address it.

"Well umm... I at least have enough to start. I'll probably need more tools later." He went into one of the pouches on his belt to pull out his tricorder. It was a bit battered and someone had done modifications, leaving it somewhere between a medical and standard unit.

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

The feeling subsided, or perhaps merely retreated, and the voidcraft (or the Hiera ih'Hwælnen, as he had called it) projected a sense of acquiescence.

The tricorder elicited a minor note of interest, but it elected not to scan or otherwise interfere with the device.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki started taking the scans and used a computer on his wrist to make notes of the status and what needed doing. He did all this quietly, but as he worked emotions subtly broadcast. If anything handling this would be easier than he'd feared. And more prominently he appreciated the Hieran concern for the forest.

"I think," he said after a moment, "what'll help most is when you can drop the aura that has the animals worried to come. I can bring some treats tomorrow to start coaxing them back and umm, they can eat and take the smaller fallen foliage for nests and the like." And in the process fertilize the area to help the recovery.

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

Again, there came the feeling of reluctant agreement. While it still didn't want to be approached in general, it could accept that this was the right thing, what had to happen next.

It lapsed back into waiting silence, to see if Enki would stay longer or say anything else.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki put the tricorder back into his belt pouch and offered a small smile. "If you can't handle it right away, I get it, you don't have to push yourself. I can drag the foliage that won't last a bit away first. That way you have a bit more time. Would that work for you?"

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

There was a note of genuine surprise in its reaction. It did not appear used to having such consideration applied to it.

No, that wasn't quite correct. It-

It sent acquiescence before it could contradict itself.

(frozen comment)

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Enki nodded and set to work collecting what he'd need to move out of range of their aura into one spot. He didn't start humming right away, and when he did it was absently, as though he didn't even realize he was doing it. This time it stuck with a fairly simple set tune rather than flowing between multiple.

He was stronger than he looked, well, not in reference to other Rihannsu, but compared to say, human standard. And he was dedicated, so he made fast work of it. He did his best to remember what spots not to step so he didn't run face first into the Hiera. So far so good?

(frozen comment)

[peridexion]

For the most part, the voidcraft was quiet, only giving a soft 'ping' when Enki did in fact get too close.

... Or if he was near an unstable part of the ground, or if there was something just outside of his range of view that was likely to fall on him. Which might have been overkill, but it did want to watch out for him. For him to be safe.