Test Drive: Haven (Setting going live 04/28)

[fluxscapemod]

TEST DRIVE #4

♦ SETTING: HAVEN

♢ THE TEST DRIVE

With all of this said, welcome to Test Drive #4! This is our fourth and latest setting to Fluxscape. Styled as a desert world in ruins, there is some mystery as to why this world is the state it is in.

Should you find yourself interested in joining FluxScape, please feel free to put a Reserve in. And our Applications are always open, approved every Sunday.

Thank you for considering FluxScape!

♢ THIS TOWN HAS TEETH

Your journey starts out differently this time. No blinking and you're suddenly outside of Jerry's information booth. In fact, you're going to wake up on a train. A rusty, dirty and crowded train and it's a voice that wakes you up. Crackling loudly from speakers above, the voice has a slight accent, and a gravely tone to it and what it says is:

"Haven Train Station. Last stop. Everyone off!"
With that, the train grinds to a rough halt and the people around you start rising, jostling with each other to leave the train as soon as the doors open. What it opens up to is a town in the middle of a dessert. It's dirty, hot and the whole place looks like it was put together in a rush. Most exteriors seem to be slapped together out of metal. Rusted and creaking, looking like a good, strong wind would knock it over. It's not meant to look pretty. If anything, it looks as though the people in this town slapped it together for survival, and nothing more.

♢ INSIDE HAVEN

Most of the town resides under broken overpasses, and most of the businesses sit in old tunnels, lit with kerosene lamps. They're crowded, the people are rude, and some of them might even try to pick your pockets, so be wary. The residents have been through hell and to them, you're just more strangers they're unsure of.

The Metroplex and Wechester Tower still sits in the middle of town, looking more like several buildings pieced together, and less like the illustrious buildings they once were. The outdoor market is still there, but the food isn't quite as fresh and while you can now haggle for prices, be ready for an argument. The people of Haven have had it really rough and they really aren't about to put up with strangers making things worse.

And most if not all of the restaurants in town seem to be reduced in size. There's not much in the way of seating, and most places seem to serve some variety of hearty noodle dish, flavored with various herbs and spices, pieces of cooked meat and vegetables really giving these dishes an exceptionally filling quality. These people don't have much, but what they do have, they know how to use well.

Even Starkbucks has been reduced to a smaller establishment, very obviously built in a shipping container, with emphasis on roasting their own coffee beans behind the building and serving up coffee, hot tea and the occasional pastry when the bakery has any to spare. You won't find any of the fancier drinks, because ingredients for that aren't too common to find, but the coffee is actually good and the smell of roasting beans seems to go for blocks.

The local teenagers also have their own place to go and hang. It's just beyond the decrepit school building, a part of an old mall that's clearly been empty for years. They call it The Caldera. There's a parking garage that's caved in and been turned into a skate-park, and just beside it is The Caldera Skate Shop. Everything there is covered in graffiti, no one seems to give a shit.

Haven runs on Solar Power. There are solar panels everywhere, but sometimes they don't work quite as well as they should, so there are random power outages that happen throughout the day. Maybe one of the feral creatures that run through Haven chewed on a wire? A rat, or something? Give it a moment; it'll come back on eventually. This happens often and the NPCs seem to shrug it off.

If you're worried about water, it's surprisingly plentiful and clean. If you're outside and want water, you'll have to find one of the many hand-pumps around town to get some. It takes a while, and usually draws a crowd, so be willing to step back and share. Living under two suns isn't all that easy for anyone. But, at least no one suffers from sunburn or sunstroke. Why that is, no one can say. But be ready to walk around with a good tan. For a town stuffed into a rough part of the desert, Haven is colorful, even with all the rust. That much, at the very least, seems important to people. They've decorated the walls with paintings and drawings, even their hair and clothes seem to have a vibrancy that defies the tan and brown landscape around them. A lot of it clashes, but that's fine. Haven might not be pretty, but it's home to many.

♢ OUTSIDE HAVEN: THE LOCAL WILD LIFE AND TROUBLE THEY CAUSE

You can leave the walls of Haven. No one's going to stop you. And you can get pretty far, too, but be careful. The creatures outside of the walls are out to get you. They come in all shapes and sizes and are as mean as they come.

SKITTERS: A crablike ant who ranges in size from a Pomeranian to a Clydesdale, whose hide is tough and who can breathe fire and burrow through the hard dirt within seconds. Very hard to kill. Their hills can be found all over the Outerlands and, if disturbed, tend to swarm whatever they deem a threat.

DEVIL DOGS: Hairless, quadrupedal beasts with bifurcated faces who attack in packs and can cough up corrosive ick. They range in size from German Shepherd puppies to full grown Mastiffs. The much smaller ones tend to be more curious than anything else, and some in Haven have adopted one or two, but be careful trying this on your own. They're hard to train and tend to chew on everything. Not as hard to kill as the Skitters, but they move fast and tend to weave instead of run in a straight line.

KITES: These aren't the fun, colorful things you see children flying in the air on a good, windy day. These things are mean. Leathery, hideous, one clawed foot they use to grasp onto things and hang from, they're a batlike creature whose screech can hurt if done too close, and who have very sharp projectiles they throw at targets from their tail. They're accurate, and they hurt like hell.

These things are barely good eating, and not worth the risk of killing, so it's a good thing the people of Haven get daily shipments of stuff from somewhere. They won't tell you where, just change the subject and walk off.

Should you venture out, please try to be armed. It seems as if everyone in this town has a gun of some kind on them, so it might be wise to get one. Or, if you're lucky, find an okay one in the desert in a pile of trash, along with ammunition. It's few and far between, however, so use your ammunition sparingly.

♢ BEYOND THE OUTERLANDS

Beyond the Outerlands, quite a long distance from Haven, in fact, is a foggy zone. Step into it if you want, but you'll just end up right outside of Jerry's info booth.

♢ MECHANICS

TRAVEL: As stated, you can leave Haven and explore. It's best to do it with wheels. It seems as though whatever force is changing the setting so often thinks it best people have wheels of their own, but not a single vehicle is designed for visual appeal. They're tough. Probably even outfitted with weaponry. Some have the capability to hover, and all vehicles seem able to repair themselves if they take too much damage. Which will happen if you take them out of Haven.

If, however, they do get damaged beyond repair, fret not. They'll appear back at home, waiting for you to ride again.

DEATH: Let's be real. This place can and will kill you, if you're not smart. Don't worry. If you do die, you'll revive at one of the VitaPoints inside and outside of Haven. And not a single resident will blink. You might even witness an NPC going through that very experience, reappearing in a flash of color and static before sighing and walking off. How it works, no one can say, but you'll come back with all of the stuff you were carrying and not a scratch will be on you.

GRAVITY: You're not on Earth, or any planet that has gravity like it. Gravity on Haven doesn't quite have that same pull. You won't float off, and everything looks like it's staying firmly on the ground, but a good jump might send you higher than you're used to. Please be careful, you can still get hurt if you don't land just right.

With all this said, it's important to note that this setting and the changes it brings about will run a lot further than has happened before. Right down to a persons wardrobe. There's no reason to look fancy in Haven. There's no call for it whatsoever. Everyone will find that their clothing has become less for appearance and more for durability. Wear and tear is a very common thing in Haven, so your clothes will change to match. Oh, there'll still be elements common to your characters, no one loses that. But to survive the heat, and the violence, and Haven in general, your clothes are now meant to protect you. Should you venture out and die, you'll find yourself reviving at one of the VitaPoints around town. You won't find your body, it'll vanish before you hit the ground, but you'll be alive again!

THE SKY: We should point out that, for starters, Haven has two suns. One of them just slightly closer than the other. This means Haven is very hot, and the sky rarely has clouds in it. Once the first sun, (a bright blue-white star that's a fair distance away but still visible and close enough to heat the surface of the planet) sets, the air starts cooling off. When the red sun goes down, it's practically perfect hoodie weather and feels delightful as compared to the daytime. And if you look up, you'll note that Haven has no moon. Is there a reason for that? Probably. Or maybe this planet just has no moons. Whatever the case, the night sky is a deep purple, almost black, and the stars are plentiful. There's also a lovely natural phenomena that happens at night, but just a touch more on that later.

♢ NPCS AND YOU

The most important thing to be aware of is the NPCs of Haven will not trust or like your characters at first. You're strangers. There's talk they've had trouble with strangers. There will be opportunities to build up faith and trust, but don't expect it to happen so quickly.

Expect resistance from everyone. In fact, expect NPCs to try to pick your characters pockets or start fights. Or just generally be antagonistic and rude. This town has been through Hell and for all the NPCs know, you're here to bring more trouble than you're worth .

Haven is rough, and dirty. Hot, and at times very intense, but wait until the two suns go down. Haven doesn't have a moon, but that's fine, because night-time has it's own radiance. That's when the sky lights up with a lovely Aurora Borealis that glows throughout the evening, from Suns-down to Suns-up and it's loved by all residents. You can be sure that a lot of them will find places to sit and watch for a bit, watching the colors dance across the sky, enjoying the cooler night air. At night, it's peaceful. So enjoy it.

Comments

[affection_for_research]

"I've made some friends here that are trying to figure that out. We haven't found a common thread yet." There had to be one, but somehow it was obscured. "We haven't figure out any common factor for being brought here either." Maybe he should focus on that more now that his life had been upended. Bruce would appreciate it. So would everyone who wanted to return home. If he could find the resources. If he could see the needed connections...

He'd made mistakes before, not taking this as seriously as the quest, but he could change that.

"I miss her, but she needed to be home. She missed her family." Gansey had a complicated relationship with his. He missed his parents and Helen, of course, but he was used to being away from them. Blue had never been away from Henrietta for a significant amount of time.

For a moment, he froze, hand automatically going ot his left ear, rubbing softly as something in his mind began to hum. It was the only outward sign of his deteriorating mental state that he'd allow himself. He knew the gesture would warn Ronan something was wrong, but he wasn't certain if Declan would understand it. "About as good as can be expected." Which was a version of the truth, easily hidden behind and honest enough to hopefully keep Declan from sensing the problems beneath the surface. Eventually, he'd have to tell him what happened, but he really didn't want to be punched by a Lynch in the middle of a coffee shop.

[declanisms]

"You've always been good with puzzles," Declan offers with a touch of amusement. "Finding the pieces." He doesn't say outloud that if he had to put his faith in someone to be able to figure out what was going on, to find the connections, Gansey was absolutely where he would start.

He hums in soft agreement that isn't precisely noncommital, but he hadn't really known Blue. He'd met her at Ronan's birthday party, and a few other times in passing. But he'd spent most of the party talking to either Gansey or his brothers, and he'd never had the incentive to get close to her.

Things probably would have continued in that vein- easy smalltalk, more or less- save for the way that Gansey freezes, the way his hand lifts to his ear, the motion seeming a little strange even if Declan doesn't know the story. He hasn't heard the distress in Gansey's voice as he says they were in my ears. But he's sharp, more attentive to people than most would give him credit for. And recognizing signs of distress, or what it looked like when someone was tense- it was a good way to stay alive when you ran in the circles that he did. On Gansey, the thought flickers something like concern in his blue eyes.

"Do you know somewhere else we can talk? This place seems a bit crowded for conversation." Which isn't precisely true, but Declan isn't particularly fond of spaces where words can be overheard; it's not much of a stretch. But mostly he's hoping that the change will either let Gansey catch his breath, or give them a space where Declan feels like he can question him about it.

[affection_for_research]

"I wasn't good enough a few weeks ago." If he had been, Evie wouldn't have been hurt. Who knows how many others might not have been harmed if Gansey had been more serious about his research. He'd been too caught up in trying to do things in ways that weren't natural to him. Not the ways of the version of him that had lived in Henrietta or Gotham, but a more socially acceptable, public version of himself. He'd followed rules that he'd rarely obeyed while searching for Glendower and Evie had paid for it. "I let too many pieces slip by me."

He'd always had a strange relationship with Declan. His best friend's older brother. Someone who Gansey had wanted to be friends with... before everything came crashing down. If Niall hadn't been murdered. If Gansey hadn't been forced to choose sides. If Ronan hadn't desperately needed someone to keep him steady, they might not have lost so much time. They might have been allies, friends, if Ronan hadn't been tearing himself apart.

They hadn't had that chance, which was why it surprised Gansey that Declan seemed to pick up on the nervous tick. Even his parents didn't seem overly concerned when Gansey started rubbing his ears or making odd gestures. Making a thoughtful sounds, he considers where they could talk. "We can't go to the Barns." They could, but he doubted that Declan would be comfortable there. Even if he was, it would be difficult for Gansey to explain what had happened since they arrived before either Ronan or Adam showed up. "There's a few areas in the library where we could talk or we could go wherever you're living now."

[declanisms]

Their relationship has always been particularly strange for Declan, in part because there's always been an imbalance- it has always meant more to him than in reverse. Not that he's ever let on as much, but that didn't make it less true. He was never allowed a Gansey of his own, friends that he could trust, that could come to the Barns. The very nature of the life he lived and the lies he hid himself in, meant that letting someone get that close was never on the table.

But Ronan had brought Gansey home one day and he'd fit there, with the Lynches, with Matthew and even Declan in a way. And that made him something different than anyone else.

He's someone that has seen Declan with the masks he wore at home, the ones kept for his brothers and his mother and father. Never defenseless, but it was still a different side of Declan. Even after Niall's death, it left Gansey in a strange space for him. Maybe not much of a friend by most peoples' standards. But Declan wasn't allowed what most people had.

Gansey was someone he trusted with Ronan's well-being, even if they argued about it. He knew how to get Declan to listen, even when that Lynch temper flared in his chest. So he pays attention to everyone, because it's dangerous not to. But he pays a little more attention to Gansey; enough that he can tell the difference between how he talks with his hands, and the nerves in how he moves them now.

"I wont condescend to you with platitudes." He doesn't know enough of the story, of what had happened to really comment on it. He knows that Gansey tends to be harder on himself than he earns, though. And he doesn't think it's likely to be the sort of thing that fundamentally changes his view of Gansey and a talent for seeing how things go together.

He certainly isn't going to argue about not going to the Barns. Declan and that place have a complicated history and one that rarely felt like home. Everyone else sees magic, and he sees black-market deals and sleepless nights making sure Ronan didn't dream himself to death. But he doesn't hate it. It would be too easy, if he could. "The Library? I haven't actually figured out where I'm living now." Which is a quiet offer- he's willing to change that in the interest of having someplace safe to themselves.

[affection_for_research]

"Thank you." As he spoke, something unwound in his chest. Everyone had told him it wasn't his fault. That he shouldn't feel the way he did. Instead Declan accepted it, accepted that Gansey's emotions were there without trying to change them. It was a strangely comforting, settling in some way that he didn't quite understand, but was grateful for. "I'm trying to figure out how to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"We can go to the library. Or I could help you find where you're living." He doesn't mind either option. The library is probably safer. Declan would be less likely to punch him for hurting Ronan if they were in public. But Declan's living space would mean they could be more open with their conversation, able to discuss dreams and magic without worrying the wrong person might overhear. "We could get some food and I could try to explain everything that's happened since Ronan and I arrived here. I know a place that makes great noodles. Actually, almost all take out here is noodles, but they have more options for them than most of the shops we've tried."

[declanisms]

"That's the important part, I think." Declan smiles at Gansey, empathy but not pity. He isn't going to push him to talk about it, especially not somewhere this public. Whether he really had fucked up or not, Declan believes his feelings are valid, but he also believes that it's something he can come back from. He rarely said such things outloud, but he's always found him rather charming, even now when there's something almost melancholy to his hazel eyes.

"I don't mind noodles. They're something of a staple in DC. We can pick up food, and if you don't mind, see about finding where I'm supposed to be staying?" Conversations about Ronan were more comfortable for Declan when they happened in private. When he didn't have to worry so much about who might hear mention of dreams or magic or his frustrations with his siblings, or any of the other oddities that tended to color conversations involving the Lynch family.

And since he hadn't yet realized that Gansey was afraid of being punched, he thought it might be easier for the other boy, too.