Leaderboard

@Addison MacKenzie @Geoffrey Teller @Genkos Adea you know, the lack of peg legs is dissapoing! Jokes aside, i've had this sim on hold till i've had some quiet minutes to appreciate It as It deserved, and oh boy it's a ride. This gang KNOWS how to write comedy and the flow between the characters is just perfect! Eager to catch up the last part!

Question for our readers... which sim has the best title of 2020, and why is it this one?

OOC: Here's a real tear jerker by @Chloe Waters A study on the effects of battle from the perspective of a confused and frightened pet/service animal. Enjoy. IC: ((Chloe's Quarters, Deck 3 -- U.S.S Arrow)) Snore. Snore. Snore. Mandy lay there, curled up on Chloe's resting surface. Her head lay on that soft rectangular thing Chloe seemed to rest her own head on, enjoying the scent of her owner being so close. Chloe wasn't here, so this was the closest she could get to her human. Her paws were curled against her body while the canine slept, perfectly content to keep this space warm for her master until she returned. Then things began to happen. There was a violent shaking which pulled Mandy from her slumber. She began to shake in fear almost immediately. This wasn't the first time this had happened, and whenever it did, she could smell things. Terrible things. Burning things. As if her food had been prepared for far, far too long. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst part was that infernal, never ending blaring noise. Loud, frequent, and tonally dull, it always accompanied the shaking around her. Mandy rolled onto her stomach and turned herself around. Her master always insisted on covering herself in fabrics, and Mandy never understood the reason why. At least,,, until now. Except she didn't use them for quite the same purpose Chloe seemed to. Pressing her head forward, the canine managed to get the movable fabrics on Chloe's resting surface over her ears. She shimmied forward until the fabrics covered her completely, some of the noises around her being blocked. The canine whimpered. Pressing her head forward, the canine managed to get the movable fabrics on Chloe's resting surface over her ears. She shimmied forward until the fabrics covered her completely, some of the noises around her being blocked. The canine whimpered. Mandy: Why are you never here at these times, master? Why does the room shake so? Make it stop... make it stop. Please... Despite her pleas, the shaking didn't stop. The shrill, painful tone didn't stop. Mandy continued whimpering and trembling, begging the universe to put an end to this infernal nightmare. Despite her pleas, the shaking didn't stop. The shrill, painful tone didn't stop. Mandy continued whimpering and trembling, begging the universe to put an end to this infernal nightmare. After some time, there was no shaking. The piercing tone continued its rude intrusions into Mandy's thoughts, but there was no more shaking. In time, Mandy was able to still her canine form. She felt herself beginning to drift off once more, sounds beginning to slip further and further away from her. As Mandy met sleep once more she had one, final wish. Mandy: oO Come back to me, master. I miss my human... Oo NT Mandy Golden Retriever owned by Chloe Waters Simmed by ************************************************************************************* Lieutenant JG Chloe Waters Helmswoman USS Arrow, NCC-69829 ****************************** Podcast team member ****************************** Writer ID: E239601CW0 *************************************************************************************

((Holosuite 2, Embassy Garden Hotel, Yarista, Palanon, Tyrellion system)) Loxley: :: a slight frown creased his forehead:: How so? Fortune: Well..::she scooted closer, the popcorn tilting in her lap.:: You make me wanna relax a little. Take it slow, or well, slower than I normally would at least. ::she smiled.:: Maybe we bring out our...softer...sides? Loxley: I wasn’t aware I had a… firm side. She reached out and poked his cheek in thought, nodding after a moment. Fortune: Mm, seems pretty soft to me. ::she grinned, winking and letting hand fall to her lap.:: Have you been working on it? Your empathy, I mean? Loxley: Not in the slightest, no. ::he answered cheerfully:: Oh, but I did go and see a Vulcan about meditating, getting a slab of rock from my homeland and maybe spending ten days in a boiling desert fighting terrifying beats in order to help combat my nightmares about being eaten alive. So there’s that. Fortune: ...do you require sunscreen? I can bring a tiny umbrella! We’d have to ask Tasha for her claymore should we see her however…::he did mean literal combat, right? Something to think on…:: Loxley: Okay, I exaggerated for effect but... oh wait, this is a good bit! Fortune: Oh! She sat up a bit, eager to watch. It was very interesting, one part making her laugh when the man convinced the other woman his hand was missing. Loxley: Sorry, what was I saying? Oh yeah, so Lieutenant Vorin is helping me find my Vulcan side a bit more. There’s a thing, a ritual, Vulcans go through in their adolescence. A right of passage, it involves surviving in a particularly wild part of the planet for ten days. Fortune: Interesting! ::she blinked, taking a bite of the oddly very cooled popcorn. Huh. That was fast.:: So it’s coming up for you then? Loxley: I never did it, and I doubt I would even now, but he suggested I might be able to attempt ‘something’ if I wanted to. Fortune: Oohhh...perhaps a stand-in for it then? Perhaps we should find a boiling desert for you to traverse. Loxley: Deserts, boiling or otherwise, are not kind to people with my complexion. ::he ran a hand through his scruffy ginger hair as emphasis:: And it always struck me as odd that a race as logical and sensible as Vulcans had this whole send-your-kids-off-to-maybe-die thing. Do Betazoids do that, too? Fortune: We don’t quite have anything akin to that, a few traditions that happened either when one is quite young or quite old but nothing like that. ::She took another bite of popcorn, trying to quell the loud crunching so as to hear the movie.:: So what are you and Vorin deciding then? Are you going to try? Loxley: ::shrugging:: I’m considering. It’s mostly a case of working out what I’ll get out of it for myself I guess. He took a handful of popcorn, too, and stuffed it into his mouth. As dull and dry as the stuff was, there was something strangely moreish about it. As he crunched, he considered what Corliss had said about traditions. Loxley: Well, at least our children won’t have to go through weird deadly exper…. ::his mind caught up with what he was saying and he choked on his popcorn:: …*cough* I mean… not that I was assuming we would… Fortune: I mean they do a festival for great health for newborns. ::she took a sip of her drink curiously, the noise of the drink pausing for a moment as the sentence caught up to her.:: ….wait, what? Loxley: Well. ::he coughed again, trying to clear the dry snack:: As it happens, I had been thinking… Fortune: ::she blinked.:: About...what? Loxley: About asking if you wanted to share quarters? Or is that too weird? Fortune: Oh! ::she nearly dropped the popcorn despite it settling in her lap, laughing nervously.:: No! No, I mean! So long as the children don’t come before. ::she giggled, a grin breaking out on her face.:: Loxley: I’d hope not, unless something goes really wrong with biology. Or time. Although with the Gorkon, neither is impossible, but I’ll take that chance. Fortune: I daresay my mother would be disappointed if she wasn’t allowed to throw a huge bash. ::she let out a sigh, adjusting the popcorn on her lap.:: Hm, I’m not so sure…::her eyes flicked over to him with a sly grin.:: Whatever will we do with my assortment of wigs? Loxley: Well, I mean it was only a suggestion. If you don’t want… ::his face flushed a little green as he blushed:: She playfully tossed a piece of popcorn at him, before stealing a kiss to his cheek. Fortune: I’d love to share quarters with you. I just have to tease a little! Loxley: Ah. Well that’s okay then. Teasing is practically obligatory. ::he threw some popcorn back at her:: And as for your wigs, can’t you just wear them all at the same time? Fortune: A mega wig...I daresay you’ve opened my eyes. ::she flicked another popcorn kernel at him.:: Or you can wear half and I can wear half and we can be stylish together! Lox launched another cereal-based missile and took advantage of Corliss’s distraction to dive under her guard and hug her around the waist. She squealed, playfully swatting at his shoulders and snorting with laughter before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Loxley: I win! Fortune: You did, then? What was the prize you fought hard for? I daresay our movie is ending… Loxley: I thought this was the prize? Is there more? Fortune: Perhaps a kiss and then one more movie, to waste the rest of our day away in this warm and cozy place? Loxley: You have a deal. For tomorrow we return to the Gorkon. But tonight is for us… And, with his arms around her, Loxley pulled Corliss close to claim his kiss. The film, largely forgotten now, strobed them in light and dark as it continued to play.

Do you know the best thing about pranking another writer's character? Having him follow it. That he incorporates it into his character's day-to-day life, even in a serious circumstance, and that he is capable of putting a light sim into the general narrative of the ship with elegance and humour. If on top of that the poor victim is our ill-treated captain... what more can I ask for? I think the gamma quadrant still has reserves of G1TT3RB0MB, skipper. I'm just warning you @Tony, aka Kells

((Shuttlecraft M'Dank, Tyrellian System)) Two and a half hours had passed as Jona waded through the bureaucratic red tape. He had been handed off from official to official until he'd finally been granted a meeting with the commanding officer of the nearest starbase to the Sagittarius Reach - a Starbase still a few weeks away from the far-flung edge of the galaxy that counted Dehner Base among its residents. He wasted no time in filling the stern-looking man in on the pirate raids plaguing the science facility. ch'Ranni: Thank you, sir. We both appreciate whatever you can do. Vodek: =/\= Indeed, Lieutenant ch'Ranni. We welcome your insights into this situation. Starbase 11, out. =/\= The viewscreen's feed from the distant starbase winked out to be replaced by the star-filled UFP symbol. Jona sat back in his seat and gave a hard look over at the Andorian woman next to him. She didn't look particularly pleased. ch'Ranni: I'm sure Captain Vodek will do everything he can to make sure Dehner Base is protected. zh'Lev: ::frowning and crossing her arms across her chest:: I don't know, Jojo. He was hard to read - even for a Vulcan - but I didn't get the impression that pirates three sectors away were at the top of his priority list. ch'Ranni: Now, Vexa, that's not fair. Dehner Base is a distant outpost. I'm sure he's got his hands full - zh'Lev: Yeah, yeah. I know. It just feels like we're alone out there sometimes. ch'Ranni: ::pause:: Well, space can be a lonely place, you know? zh'Lev: ::pause:: Yeah, I know. An awkward, pregnant silence filled the tiny craft and made it feel as if the coldness of space was seeping in through the transparent windows. After an eternity of seconds, Jona cleared his throat. ch'RannI: So, how's ... what's his name ... Brax? zh'Lev: ::rolling her eyes:: Brix. His name is Brix. And we broke up, actually. Jona's left antennae registered his surprise even if his facial features didn't. ch'Ranni: You ... broke up? zh'Lev: Yes, two months ago. Brix wanted to leave because of the pirate attacks and I wanted to stay and continue my work. ch'Ranni: And? zh'Lev: And so he did. And I did. ch'Ranni: I see. zh'Lev: ::huffing slightly:: To be honest, it was over already. That was just the final skel in the ksennuv. We wanted different things. ch'Ranni: Like us? The woman turned her head to the side to stare at her one-time romantic partner. Her gaze fell upon his jawline, the jaw muscles taut with tension. Stubbly white hairs poking through his skin and threatening to become an actual beard if not touched up in the next few days. She reached a finger up and stroked the hair near his ear. zh'Lev: No, Jojo, not like us. Even at our worst, I never believed we wanted different things. We both wanted the same thing. We wanted what was best for the other person. ch'Ranni: Well, that sucks. zh'Lev: Yes, it does. ch'Ranni: What will you do now, V? zh'Lev: I have to go back. ch'Ranni: You ... ::hesitating:: You could stay here. zh'Lev: ::meeting Jona's gaze:: You could come back with me to Delta Vega. The stab in Jona side could be felt physically. It was difficult to breathe for a second but he finally got his words out. ch'Ranni: I don't think I can do that. zh'Lev: I understand. And I think you understand why I can't stay either. The two Andorians stood up from their cushioned seats reluctantly and hugged, holding each other tightly in the confines of the cramped shuttlecraft. Jona didn't want to let go but was forced to break contact after he could no longer justify the continuance of the embrace. Vexa cupped his face with her hands and softly kissed him on the lips. When they parted once more, Jona used his thumb to wipe away the single tear that glided down the young woman's cheek. With a final silent nod and a brave smile, Vexa took her place on the transporter pad. ch'Ranni: Wait. Jona turned and rummaged in a cabinet bin for a second and pulled out a finger sized device. He tapped out a code on the mechanism and handed it to the woman. ch'Ranni: A long-range subspace transponder beacon. It's coded to my attention. If ... if you're in trouble ... if there's no way out - zh'Lev: I know. Thank you, Jona, for everything. Love you always. ch'Ranni: Love you always. With a tap on the pin on her chest, Jona's first and best love shimmered and dissolved in a spray of light particles. Through the shuttle's window, Jona could see the Bolian craft she'd arrived on come about and seem to snap forward as it warped out of the system. ch'Ranni: ::whispering:: But, Vexa, what about us? ((END))

For me, it's just Shran, no contest. I felt like the character really grew through the series and gained depth as it went along.