#damartrekt

[ageofpiracyrp]

Ian Solko

Pronouns: he/him/they, open to any

Role: Entertainer (musician)

Age: 118

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Pansexual

Species: Damartrekt

Home Planet: Was born out in space, no clear idea where, but he would choose Earth as his home planet.

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Han Jisung

True Appearance: In his original form, he has no physical characteristics; he is incorporeal.  As a humanoid, his hair is straight and thick, reaching mid-neck, with wavy bangs. Sometimes his bangs are not wavy and drapes over his eyes, it just depends on natural hair-drying after a shower or position he was sleeping, because he doesn’t style it.  He does dye it though—it’s naturally medium brown but can be a range of colors depending on his whims.  They have dark brown eyes generally, unless they are taking up another form.  He stands at 5 '7'' as humanoid/non-humanoid, and then it widely varies if he is a different species aside from that such as a cat.  As a vanneer (he became one aboard the Qraxoldov for fun) he has the patterning and beak of a Red-necked Stint, but he is currently a human.

Backstory: Ian didn’t know who or what he was.  One moment he didn't exist, and the next moment he did.  And that was good enough for him.  As with all of the same species around him, he was perfectly happy with sleeping for the rest of his existence.  Space was dark and comfortable, and being in the midst of all the galaxies was wonderful.  He slept, dreamt and stayed in this way for many years, content on never moving and never leaving.  As time went on, he didn’t notice that the others of his kind had begun to drift away, until it was only him and the small but persistent counting--58, 59, 60, 1, 2, 3…--in his little corner of space.  He was alone, and that wasn’t wonderful, but he felt safe, and so it was fine.

The first thing Ian noticed when he woke up was that he was twenty-three years older than he was when he fell into this particular last round of sleep.  That made him eighty years, five months, two days, seven hours, fifty-five minutes, and eleven…twelve…seconds old.  The second thing he noticed was that he did not wake up on his own, and there was another figure nearby, in close proximity.  Do you have a name? The figure asked but didn’t ask, as their language was not communicated in the same way verbal languages were.  Ian didn’t know what a name was, and related as much to them.  Are you of age yet?  Also no, but Ian could answer that one with confidence.

The figure was quiet for a while, but Ian could feel what he was feeling.  Happy, but with an undertone of something more mysterious.  But Ian trusted him; he trusted all the other people like him he’d come in contact with.  There wasn’t a reason not to.  Finally, he communicated again.  A name is what you call someone, and what they answer to.  If I call you Ian, will you answer to that name?  Ian agreed immediately, even though they had no opinion on how they felt about this ‘name’, but they liked this new person who said interesting things.  The figure went on to introduce himself as “Len, short for Lenjamin,” and then continued to refer to a ‘planet’ called ‘Earth’ that he was headed back from after taking a ‘vacation’ on ‘Oggdel’Lu.’  He communicated quickly and gave no more explanations, and all of this seemed exciting, if a bit overwhelming.  Then Len switched topics suddenly: he noticed Ian was by himself, so would he like to come with him to Earth?  Earth was such a wonderful place, after all, filled with ‘humans’ and ‘food’ and ‘buildings.’  Ian, being very confused but very curious, agreed.  If he didn’t like it, he could simply come right back here, Len assured him.

But Ian was guided to Earth hastily--so fast, that he wasn’t able to keep track of where his original spot was until he’d realized this too late.  Then they entered the planet’s atmosphere, and Ian wasn’t prepared for how loud everything was.  How different.  He wanted to go home immediately.  But he still trusted his new but good friend Len, and Len wanted him to stay.  He wasn’t at the age of maturity yet, so the two of them stayed in the dark matter state, wandering around the streets of a place called ‘Seoul, South Korea,’ taking in any information they could.  When December finally rolled around, Ian understood it was the year 1985, there was a lot of turmoil where they were, and there was some sort of huge game the city was preparing for.  Then, it was finally time for Ian to shift into a human being for the first time, and they did it, but with an amount of difficulty they didn’t expect.  This new form was so, so strange.  He was cold a lot of the time, and this body had to keep eating and drinking to live.  Weird.  They also needed shelter--but Len had a solution for that already.  He had a group of friends of which he seemed to be the leader of, and they were friendly but strict with him in order for him to pick up the humans’ strange customs.  As long as Ian never revealed what he really was, Len expressed, he would be able to live there safely.  Alongside learning the Korean language and assimilating as a human, he was also taught how to wield a gun and to protect himself, and sometimes…how to attack other humans for ‘money.’  Ian was pretty good at following Len’s orders, picked up on his lessons semi-quickly, and was assured that this life was normal.

Ian was a member of the kkangpae for three years--up until he got into some actual trouble.  The aforementioned huge game--The Summer Olympics--came with a large amount of increased security within the city, and with that, a crackdown on gangs.  Len was ignorant of the increase in security.  He'd planned a looting of some of the hotels around the ‘Village,’ and he’d planned it around his cycle.  Ian wasn’t sure why.  He was capable with a gun, and like Len, he was smaller in stature, so Len favored him on missions, and this time around, Ian was promised more money than they’d ever gotten on a take before.  Len seemed excited, so Ian was excited.  This mission of theirs had started off like any other, and seemed fine at first.  That was, until they discovered the cops had somehow been tipped off and were waiting for them.  Ian had never been caught before, but the police knew their faces from prior video footage, and so they were set to be sitting in jail for a very long time.  Or…Ian was.  Sitting in the back of the police car, Len was shaking, in a bit of turmoil, and without warning, he shifted into his dark matter form to escape.  Ian could still hear his thoughts, and tried to reach out in confusion, but he only heard a simple Goodbye. Ian.  I’m sorry, before Len sped away.

It was hard to believe in the concept of betrayal for someone who’d never been betrayed before, even sitting in a jail Ian had been set up to sit in.  When the 12th rolled around a couple weeks later, Ian pulled a Len and shifted to his original form to escape, and tried to come back to his hideout, but there was no one there.  Thinking there was some sort of mistake, Ian sat in the shelter for months, anxiety-ridden.  But no one came around again.  And it was then he finally realized he was completely alone, and completely lost.  Len wasn’t going to come back for him.  He knew he couldn’t shift back--one look at him from the police and he would just be arrested again.  He didn’t know where his spot in space was.  But maybe there were other places to live on this Earth besides Seoul.  And maybe he could be other things.

So began years of trial and error.  Ian eventually moved himself a couple times: Paris, France; New York, USA.  He found he could turn himself into a lot of things: birds, squirrels, cats, moose, bees (though only once, bees have a very short lifespan and he almost died before he could phase back), and he could even make himself look different than his first human body, in case other humans were weird and mean to him based on his appearance.  He continued to do what he could to survive--whether that was pickpocketing, spending a year or two as a housecat, picking up the odd job here and there; he’d do it.  In those years, Ian still had made no real connection with anyone.  He would have liked to, but he had a sort of clingy and loud-natured energy with people who gave him attention, he disappeared too much, and sometimes he was too off-putting, that friendships didn’t last very long.  Feeling lonely was a constant.

Ian found that music was a very good way to fill that void; it was the one really good thing Earth had to offer.  In one of his part-time jobs in Korea he begged the owner to teach him guitar in exchange for only paying him half the amount he was owed, and he learned quickly.  After he moved to Paris in 1992, Ian had saved up every bit of his funds for a guitar, and when he finally purchased it, he’d put it in a safe place, phased into a stray cat, and spent months gathering enough money again to find a room to live.  Then, busking became an inconsistent but sometimes good way for money.  He didn’t have the vocals to really try to make it as a solo musician, but he found he could advertise himself for odd bands that were looking for guitarists.  In this way, Ian was able to pick up learning a couple other instruments, he could listen to much more music through people who had listening devices, and he even had access to recording and editing technology.  He made some actual consistent friends with one particular band of grunge-genre artists who enjoyed his loud energy, and when he was asked to move with them to New York for more opportunities, Ian easily agreed.

Unfortunately, this band didn’t find more opportunities. They had the occasional hired gig or open mic night, but eventually the band grew irritated at the lack of things coming their way, and often blamed Ian’s lack of drive for fame.  Ian was there to make music and have friends, he always had been, and this was expressed.  But he left their band, believing they would have more luck with getting famous without him.  He advertised his band services in the new city, but this time, he wasn’t going to get attached to a group like before.  If someone needed him and they were willing to pay him, that was good enough.

The year was 2020, thirteen years after moving to New York.  Ian met a gray tabby cat while he was a cat.  They became good friends and protected each other.  He went through three cycles before deciding it was time to shift again, but the other cat wasn’t going away without a fight, no matter what he shifted into, and he didn’t have the heart to turn into his original form for a long time and abandon her.  Ian finally gave her a name, Beverly, which she liked, but he also gave her nicknames based on this, which she barely tolerates.  Beverly was very clingy and liked to stay by his side, unless it suited her to go off and do her own thing.  Never the other way around. (Beverly is currently about five years old, very vocal, and doesn’t really like anyone except Ian.  There are a few exceptions).  With this cat he was now in charge of, Ian couldn’t really continue his old life of phasing in and out, living with only a few dollars to his name.  Beverly needed cat food.

Earth was very guarded against any mention of life outside of it, and had Ian not heard from Len, short for Lenjamin about other species out there, he would not have had any clue about it.  Even so, it was a matter of luck on his part that he’d happened upon the Qraxoldov while they were docked in New York.  And even luckier that they were looking for someone to be an entertainer for them on board.  Evidently, a ship consisting of former circus members were not keen on entertaining themselves much any more.  Ian hadn’t left Earth in thirty-five years already, and Beverly seemed fine for travel, so there was nothing keeping him here.

The ship crew didn’t do the circus thing anymore, sure, but they were still rowdy enough that Ian could understand their background.  He found people that matched his energy and then some, and sometimes he even found that he was overwhelmed and anxious by their spirits.  Still, these were great people, he got to perform consistently and hone his skills more, and he tried his very hardest not to be a pain in Marlene Olgubric’s ass.  During this time, Ian decided to be a vanneer because everyone else was doing it, only turning back into a human in the times they touched down on Earth.

But Ian’s performance energy in the months after Molfaun had begun to feel depleted.  He could no longer match the crew’s energy, which was a little important if he was in charge of entertaining the crew.  He decided it was perhaps time to start looking for a new ship with a different environment.  After a deep talk with Marleen in which he turned in his resignation, he then started the hunt for a new ship.  The job hunt didn’t last long; Ian saw that the Prosperity was heavily advertising for new crew, and they would be in the same place as the Qraxoldov in the upcoming weeks.  Well, that was that.

Skills: Skateboarding, whistling, writing song lyrics, proficient at the guitar, drums, and trombone.  Okay with keyboard, mostly for composing purposes. Good with technical aspects of performing and creating songs such as assembling/disassembling equipment, sound editing, and computer-mixing.  Can speak English, French and Korean.  Can fire a gun, but would prefer not to.

Played by Hope; 26 ; she/her; central time

[iansolko]

Ian Notable Past Crushes/Romances

Ian has had many crushes in his time.  Here are some notable ones from Earth. TW: Homophobia, Alcohol, Drugs

-Name Unknown (fc: Kim Ye-won, or “Umji”): Freshly a human in 1986, Ian didn’t know about relationships and people, and how to feel about these people.  There was a woman who lived nearby the warehouse he stayed in during his first three years on Earth, whom he’d occasionally see outside her home or by passing by her on the street.  Sometimes she’d even say hello to him!  Ian recognized she was very pretty for a human and he didn’t know what to do with his feelings about her, that felt much more intense than the other ones like happy or sad.  It felt different, but good.  Maybe it was love, like the humans liked to talk about!  He blatantly asked Len and a few of Len’s friends what to do about his feelings one night over dinner, and after receiving some teasing, the older damartrekt pulled him aside to privately discuss species-specific things.  He told Ian that he might tend to feel things harder than humans do, that the woman was just being polite, and that she does not feel the same way that Ian feels towards her.  It was hard for Ian to wrap his head around this, but it was true that the woman never did anything besides say hello to him, so Ian figured that Len was right.

-Ryu Minji (fc: Kim Chaehyun): Ian worked in 1990 as a dishwasher/busboy for a small family-owned restaurant in Seoul for a few months.  It was absolutely no fun at all, and the only reason he stayed around (besides the money) was the owner’s daughter.  She was so pretty and funny, and she had lots of cool friends that came around to the shop.  Minji and her friends would often take up a corner booth and joke around for hours and order a lot of food that he needed to clean up.  But sometimes he was included in these conversations, which was fun and made it well worth it!  She had a way about her that when she paid attention to Ian, he felt like the most special person in the universe.  So even though Len had warned him, it wasn’t like he was here anymore, so what did he know?  Ian gave it a shot.  Unable to catch her alone, Ian confessed to Minji amidst her friends with some flowers he bought with the last of his paycheck.  He told her that he was in love with her, and that he would be so happy to start a new life with her.  Minji let him down rather awkwardly, and following that fiasco, Ian was no longer invited over to their table.  He decided to find a new job shortly after that.

-Sébastien Belan (fc: Tre Samuels): Late 1992, Ian arrived in Paris after hearing a little bit about the music there.  And perhaps for a fresh start.  He went to as many concerts as he could while in his true form, meaning he got in for free, and he did his best to pick up on the different language.  One of these after parties was for a band with a small fanbase called Sénat des Arbres, and Ian liked these guys well enough to be a human and get in to speak to them that way.  This…somehow worked.  After their set, Ian was let into their gathering they were having afterwards, and the frontrunner, Sébastien, let Ian privately gush to him about how clear his vocals were, and how handsome he looked while performing, and that his stage presence was unmatched.  Ian noticed, with some delay, that the singer was looking at him in a weird way that he didn’t understand.  Until he found that he was being pushed against the couch, and Sébastien’s lips had suddenly found their way against his, and then Ian understood.  A…kiss?  He’d never kissed anyone.  And Sébastien was a boy?  He didn’t know that he could kiss boys!  Ian certainly did have crushes on boys that he kept to himself, but he’d never heard that it was a thing he could do.  He didn’t know what to do except to kiss back eagerly, and they made out for several minutes before Sébastien parted to write his number down for Ian and invite him to the next concert.  For more where that came from.

Unfortunately, Ian learned the rules for kissing boys very quickly.  And there were a lot of them.  They weren’t allowed to tell anyone, they weren’t allowed to kiss or hold hands with him in public, or even act couple-y.  Ian didn’t require the world to know about this relationship…it wasn’t as if the world knew about him.  He was infatuated with him and happy about this arrangement for many months.  Until they were caught. 

Sébastien’s manager walked in on the both of them mid-makeout, and threatened to drop him from the label if it continued.  Sébastien pretty much had to end it for his career, and Ian unfortunately understood that it was important to the vocalist to choose his career over a secret… whatever they were.  He was a little more reckless after that, though, switching to random animals for a full two years, then letting himself get picked up as a housecat for another two.

-Carla “Fiizz” Allemand (fc: Odie Leigh): 1999, Ian had a brief stint with the backup band of soloist “Fiizz,” as a guitarist.  This was a dream gig, because he was being paid (basically pennies) while still remaining anonymous.  He wasn��t here to market himself to an audience.  He was here to make one person sound good, and that was all that mattered.  This woman, Fiizz, or Carla to everyone who wasn’t her fans, was pretty chill in Ian’s opinion.  She didn’t have much to do with him or the rest of the band, but that was okay.  And it wasn’t like she never hung around—sometimes before a show she would offer him a hit off of her joint, which he usually accepted; or a shot of something, which he usually declined.  After one particular set at a large club, Ian and the band were invited to stick around, and he found himself inadvertently sitting next to Carla.  She turned out to be very talkative, which was fun, even as she became more and more inebriated.  Eventually the rest of their group tapered off, which left Ian to take care of her.  He wasn’t strong enough to carry her or anything—actually, she was a few inches taller than he was.  Ian still took this responsibility very seriously: slowly guiding her out of the club without attracting attention, hailing a cab with the crumbs of money he had, and taking her to her apartment.  She slumped over him the whole ride.

Once there, Carla announced that Ian was “attractive as fuck” and that they should have sex.  That was…nice of her to say...but absolutely not.  Instead, he guided her to her room and tucked her in.  She asked them for a “goodnight kiss” and Ian instead gave her a pat on her forehead.  Carla deemed this acceptable, and said, “Okay, you’re my boyfriend now, no take-backs,” before she turned over and was out cold.  Ian thought about this interaction for the rest of the night, going back to his own shared place.  He’d never been a boyfriend before, even a nonreal one.  Because there was no way she remembered it.

Their next rehearsal, he gave her a usual friendly greeting while tuning his guitar.  But Carla seemed uncomfortable, asking if they could talk in private.  Turned out, she did remember.  But this was all said under the influence, he wasn’t really her type, and she wanted to break up.  Ian agreed easily. Of course he wasn’t going to stay her boyfriend.  He was surprised she even counted them as dating.  And he wasn’t disappointed, even relieved he didn’t have strong feelings towards her.

But then she asked him if he would consider stepping down as guitarist, as she “couldn’t really look at him.”  And this Ian also agreed to, although he was more disappointed at this turn of events.  Ian doesn’t consider her his first girlfriend, because it didn’t count to him.  But he would technically count himself being a boyfriend for the first time.

-Jamison Kléber (fc: Kendrick Lamar): 2003, open mic night at a bar.  Ian was here for fun and on his own, ready to build his chops back after being a cat, then a dog, for a while.  Ian performed a somewhat rusty cover of Les pouvoir des fleurs by Laurent Voulzy, not too concerned about how he was doing since this was so low-stakes, until he locked eyes with a gentleman who was openly staring at him in a weird way.  This time, Ian had an idea about what that kind of look meant.  This guy was probably looking for a hookup—he was a man, after all, actual same-sex relationships were few and far between—and in any case, Ian had encountered a few people like him by this point.  All fended off.  He wasn’t interested in that kind of thing.  But as usual, he found the guy attractive, and almost against his own volition he found himself trying harder at the song, using the limits of his vocal range.  When he was done, Ian gave the stranger who was still staring at him a friendly nod, and hopped off the stage, ready to leave already since he’d done what he came here for.  The only thing that stopped him was…now the man was headed for the stage with no instrument.

Ian’s curiosity got the better of him, but he didn’t have to wonder for long.  The stranger was a rapper, belting out confident bars.  He was good.  When he was done, he offered a wink Ian’s way and held up a finger.  Wait.  Ian obeyed, if only to politely decline whatever thing he was now walking up to suggest.  Sure enough, he was asking to buy Ian a drink.  He didn’t drink, he told the stranger.  Just here for the mic.  Thanks, though!  This didn’t deter him.  He introduced himself as Jamison Kléber, last name and all.  Ian introduced himself sans-last name: too identifying, and there were a thousand Ians.  Then, Jamison Kléber continued, Maybe Ian didn’t drink, but if they didn’t have anything going on, would they would like to sit and talk music?  Ian couldn’t immediately sniff out danger from this, so he reluctantly agreed.  Jamison Kléber got him a water and as the evening wore on, Ian found that the guy was actually very easy to talk to.  He knew a lot about the music scene here.  Ian did, too—much more than him, but at this point he had to dumb down his knowledge.  Ian truly felt like he hadn’t been in Paris all that long, but to humans and with his face, he was probably supposed to have been a child eleven years ago.  Even pretending to not know stuff, Jamison Kléber was fascinated that Ian had a lot to say about underground Paris bands.  Lots of research and listening to music, Ian easily used as an excuse.  They ended up talking enough that Ian lost track of time, and then the bartender was kicking them out.  And even more surprisingly, Jamison Kléber wasn’t inviting him over.  But he was giving Ian a once-over, then planting a quick kiss on his lips, which Ian found himself reciprocating, and wanting to deepen.  It had been probably a year or so since a human had purposely touched him, and Ian longed for it.  But it was gone all too soon, and Jamison Kléber wrote a number on his hand, shook that hand, and then left.

Ian called him from a payphone three days later as the television dating rules said, and they went on several more dates.  Jamison Kléber always bought since he was “older,” and because he actually had a job.  At a bank.  This guy was like, a real adult.  What was he doing with Ian?  He found himself wondering this aloud in between crepes at a park, leaning to share the part that didn’t have chocolate to a nearby stray cat.  Then to Ian’s great surprise, Jamison came clean—he was actually married to a woman.  He had two kids.  But, he said to Ian’s shocked face, this marriage was open, and they were free to date other people.  As long as they never met the other partners, and that sex had to stay between them.  Ian admitted to the man that he’d never had sex anyway, and wanted to keep it that way with him now.  Jamison Kléber agreed, and deemed this arrangement “perfect.”

But Ian kind of grew to resent it.  He enjoyed being able to kiss and cuddle with him for a few months, and having someone to talk to that shared his interests, but he could never truly be with this guy that he ended up loving against his will.  They could never be boyfriends, and Jamison (very rightfully so) had someone who would always rank higher.  But it sucked.  And one day when Ian was supposed to meet Jamison Kléber for the movies, he decided to shift and run away instead, re-defining the term “ghosting.”

-Rory Burton (fc: Kendall Schmidt): 2010.  Ian had moved to New York for another fresh start three years ago, but with a band who had long since left him behind.  Ian was now drumming-for-hire with a band named Dead Poodle Society.  Great name, terrible sound.  At least Ian could say it wasn’t him.   No, it was definitely their lead singer, whose voice was…certainly something.  Which would have been fine!  Ian loved playing music, good or bad, but not if their singer was also sort of mean for no reason.  He was getting paid, so he could deal.  The real reprieve in this almost-defunct band was Rory the guitarist.  Rory was hilarious, cool, and most importantly, stood up for Ian whenever their singer yelled at him.  They also found him kind of adorable, their knight in shining armor almost, but would keep this forming crush to themself.  Rory definitely gave straight vibes, and offered no hint otherwise.  After several months, they were good enough friends that the guitarist pulled him to the side and asked him to turn his allegiance to this new band he was forming.  He would be paid for it. Ian could even name it if he wanted.  That part was scary, but exciting!  And so, Ian and Rory were the new faces of the band McGriddle, because Ian was eating a McGriddle at the time.  Ian put his all into this lame grunge band, because Rory was putting his all into it.  He was semi-breaking his rule about not getting attached to a band, because Rory was involved.  After a year, this guy was probably the closest friend Ian had ever had.  And Ian couldn’t help but want more.  Badly.  He thought about kissing him pretty much every day.  But it would never happen.

McGriddle had competed and lost in a Battle of the Bands, but Ian and Rory were still having a blast at the after party.  They were duetting at karaoke, joking around with the bands, and Ian was taking the natural role as designated cab-caller and key-holder as Rory got drunk with everyone.  Someone had even passed them a blunt, so Ian was feeling very relaxed as they sat in a booth.  Then Rory sat to join them, snuggling against their shoulder.  Ian was soft and nice, Rory told him with a smile.  Gazing at him with those bright hazel eyes.  Ian tried his very hardest to bite his tongue, but the weed loosened his lips.  “I…love you,” he told Rory.

“Aww.  I love you, too, bro.”  Rory had hugged his arm.

This misunderstanding was funny enough that Ian giggled and let it go.  And when Rory found a girlfriend several weeks later, and moved to the Midwest with her a year after that, Ian made himself be fine with it.  He’d given it a shot.

-Tobie Sharp (fc: Noah Kahan): The year was now 2016.  Ian had lived in New York for nine years at this point, but had never attended Pride.  Truthfully, he didn’t think he had the right to.  It was a riot, and then it was for humans to celebrate something amazing about themselves, and Ian wasn’t a human, not really.  Whoever his parents were, they would be fine with the pan, he/him/they pronoun labels he’d given himself.  Actually, they would have zero idea what any of that meant!  But he couldn’t give this reason to his bassist, who’d been angry-shocked that he’d never gone, and basically dragged him out of his bed on the couch to the parade.  It was a lot, and wow had Earth changed a whole lot since he’d first gotten here.  Ian basically clung to her arm for the first hour.  At least, until it became too hot in the day to touch his bassist for long.  That didn’t stop a lot of people here from touching each other, though.  In public.  Wow.  Ian was in the process of calculating his old romance Sébastian’s age and wondering if 23 years was too late to give someone a call on the phone, when he saw that a rugged, bearded guy was eyeing him.  If this guy was gay, Ian was pretty sure the term “bear” was apt here.  Oh, he had a bi flag on his t-shirt.  Maybe he was still a bear.  Ian leaned over to his friend to get her opinion, but she’d disappeared.  Oh no.  It didn’t matter at the moment anyway, because the guy was making his way over.  “First time?”  He greeted.  Oh no, the guy spoke with a lisp.  That was cute.  Ian nodded, bewildered.

He introduced himself.  Tobie.  Ian introduced himself.  Then wondered aloud how Tobie was getting along in this heat with long hair and a beard.  He heard what could only be described as a guffaw, then was told this was easy mode.  There were people here in full-leather.  Humans were so strange sometimes.  They exchanged some more small talk, and then everyone was walking.  Tobie reached for Ian’s hand to wordlessly lead him to his friend group, and Ian decided to let this happen.  They were all friendly and introduced themselves.  Tobie was still staring at him.  Ian hoped it wasn’t in a hookup way, because this guy was giving him some butterflies.

After the parade, Ian was invited out to a restaurant with their group, which he about declined due to no funds, but then Tobie was promising to pay.  So, okay.  And after a fun evening where he actually ate a good meal, the maybe-a-bear was asking Ian for his number.  Ian didn’t have a phone number, he felt comfortable explaining.  But he did have Facebook Messenger, so here was that information.

“Ian Solko,” Tobie recited as he pulled out his own phone to add them.

“Tobie Sharp,” Ian answered in reply, hitting ‘accept’ to their friend request.

“Who knows—maybe if we hit it off, it could be Tobie Solko someday.”

Ian found out quickly that Tobie was always that confident, and he never backed down or half-assed anything.  He was making out with Ian on their first date, asking Ian to be his boyfriend by the third date, and Ian was confessing that he was a virgin and wasn’t ready for sex with him yet by the fourth.  This was somehow far from a deal-breaker.  They were meeting openly in cafes, loudly complimenting each other, holding hands, making out in public.  Ian was unapologetically being with someone for the first time ever, and he was on cloud fucking nine.  Five months in, Ian took a leap and confessed that he was in love, ready for it to be all over between them.  But instead, Tobie was saying it back??  It was enough for Ian to immediately start sobbing.  So much for a romantic moment, but Tobie was laughing and kissing him.

Things were so good, Ian had forgotten there was always a catch.

One evening, they were lying on the couch in Tobie’s shared apartment.  Ian was trying to french-braid his boyfriend’s hair, which he didn’t know how to do quite yet, but Tobie was patient and just liked Ian touching his hair.  Then the human spoke up: Why didn’t he know anything about Ian, when Ian knew all about him?  He learned Ian didn’t drink coffee, played guitar and drums, and probably knew every song in existence…  but where did they come from?  Did they have a family?  Could they share anything about themself?  And Ian could have lied, he was supposed to, but he loved Tobie too much to make up a story.  But what he said in hindsight was probably worse—“I’m sorry.  I can’t tell you.”  And he looked to gauge his boyfriend’s expression, which seemed confused, and slightly hurt.  Then Tobie was telling him it was okay, and kissing him on his cheek, but a dark shadow never left his face.

His boyfriend was someone who had a couple major on-and-off exes.  He’d confessed this to Ian, so Ian didn’t see any issue with it, because he’d been open about it, and they were probably exes for a reason.

Ian received a Facebook message to meet at a coffee shop several days later, which he happily did.  Tobie held his hand at first and paid for his lemonade, but there was something on his mind.  Ian was led to a corner booth, and his boyfriend confidently spilled out the details to him: Tobie’s ex was back in the city.  They’d truthfully only broken up because the guy was moving with his job, so now that he was back, this guy was wanting Tobie back.  And Tobie wanted this, too.  More than he wanted to be with Ian.

 Wounded, they asked Tobie if he even loved Ian like he said he did, to which he responded, “Honestly, man, how can I love someone I don’t even know?”

After that relationship, Ian was immediately over being a human for a while.  He took to the streets off and on for a few years, only finding true friendship again through Beverly.  And that was only because Beverly basically adopted him instead of the other way around.  By the time he joined the Qraxoldov, Ian had learned his lesson, the very same lesson that Lenjamin had tried to teach him years ago. Maybe if he'd listened to his old mentor's words, he could have saved himself quite a bit of grief.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 30: EXPEDIENCY

It has become apparent that the GEE has made a massive difference for the Prosperity's travel experience, and it's only a matter of time before other pirate ships get a hold of this thing. Part of the nonmonetary terms of the deal with Derros is that Daphne agreed to be a reference to other ships looking to purchase this thing. She has and will continue to inquire with the engineering, navigation, and piloting crews about technical specs and ship experience to be able to continue to give these good references for Derros.

A trip from Kraysha or Kor'Sel'Koo to Earth used to be considered one of the quickest journeys- a week. Arjbo was not anywhere close to Earth, and the journey ended up being just five days including buffer time to navigate around what looked like Ayshena's ship.

The Communications department is busy, as they manage to get a message from the KBW (Kuiper Belt Waystation). Zuytri's message is interesting: Prosperity! If the rumors are true, I heard that you were in the area and possibly going to Kor'Sel'Koo afterward. If you have time, would you be able to stop by my precious KBW for a little longer than you were planning? There's something that I've been wanting to discuss with Ali and his boo. Nothing awful, I swear, but it would mean a lot if you have some time to spare. Qraxaldrov is docked here too, by the by, so we can make it a little gathering for everyone else. Hoping to see you soon! Kisses -- Z

It really is great timing to have ship that can get places so much faster than it used to, isn't it?

(And yes, every time the GEE launches, the nearest pairing of damartrekt/djayyar will experience the same symptoms)

Here is the schedule:

February 14: Depart from Arjbo

February 19: Arrive on Earth (Connecticut); Marshall and HJ go to visit HJ's parents while the others prep for the heist.

February 20: "Heist" day - acquire those Gilmore Girls box sets- mostly by legal means

February 21: "Heist" day 2 - acquire those Gilmore Girls box sets- we will go through dumpsters if we have to

February 22: "Heist" day- The Quartermaster will lead the charge to buy up a ton of DVDs so the crew can make some extra DVD-only sets (we won't lie and say they are fake). "Free" afternoon the crew starts to burn the DVDs - We will take people anywhere else they seem to need or want to go (if Marshall and HJ are ready at this point, they can be picked up too). Traveling in groups recommended, please.

February 23: Free morning for Beck and the co-pilot while everyone enjoys their time wherever they are. Afternoon, the piloting crew picks everyone up.

February 24: Travel to KBW - arrive early in the afternoon.

February 24 - March 2: KBW

March 3: Travel to Kor'Sel'Koo

March 4: Arrive on Kor'Sel'Koo

Players can start plotting or playing out threads as early as February 24 provided nothing takes place on the KBW.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 29: DESTINY

Are there coincidences? Or is something bigger than ourselves driving our stories along?

The Engineering team (mechanics, electrotechnical and engineers alike) on Prosperity eventually figure out how to install the new Gravity Engine Exploiter on the ship. These things are seriously rare and take a special kind of quirky crew to make work. While the GEE came with instructions, they were not the most intuitive. For such a strange and sophisticated piece of technology, only an engineering team like this could stand to make it work so perfectly.

So on the equivalent of February 10, 2024, the crew tested out the GEE with Derros on board (and with one less crew member, Gwen). Time dilates strangely between Touchpoints. While travel isn't exactly instantaneous, crossing the galaxy in a few hours or so with only the longer journey from the Touchpoint to Merris to worry about it is quite impressive.

Everything goes according to plan to start until the ship starts to reach top speed and Theo notices that Ian (newly human) is glowing. And not just any kind of glowing, but identically to the ship's physician and surgeon, Samira. Regardless of how much of her glow Samira is containing, Ian is glowing as brightly as an uninhibited djayyar might in the exact coloration of Samira's moods. Samira notices something unusual too. The counting.

The same thing happens to Stella and Ali. Stella full-body glowing the same colors as Ali does and Ali hearing the counting. But it isn't just any counting- it's the same counting that Stella experiences all day ,every day.

Nothing else seems to have changed. This strange change does not turn off the entire time while using the GEE. Any medical examinations do not indicate any other changes or problems with the damartrekt or djayyar. All bodily functions are normal. It's just the glow matching the djayyar's mood and the counting matching the damartrekt's age.

The strange changes end as soon as the GEE is turned off upon getting to the other side of the Touchpoint (which only takes a few hours, and cannot be aborted after starting).

How strange.

The crew will enjoy a nice (if somewhat boring to many- except Derros) trip to the Crystalline Port, which is quite literally a spaceship and boat port overlooking some very dangerous-looking crystal stalagmites. It's pretty, but there's not much else to do here besides look at the water and crystals.

And to ponder what just happened.

[ageofpiracyrp]

The following characters have been accepted!

Daniel Eansworth, a Far’Ly’Dae Mate played by Caitlin

Ian Solko, a Damartrekt Entertainer played by Hope

Theo Seong, an Erkuss Entertainer played by Sarah

Please send in your accounts! Side blogs are okay! Looking forward have you and your characters join us here!

[ageofpiracyrp]

Stella Sarasvati

Pronouns: she/her

Role: Communications

Age: 139

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Bisexual

Species: Damartrekt

Home Planet: She was born somewhere in space between the orbits of Earth and Venus, but considers Earth her home planet.

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Lulu Antariksa

True Appearance: Stella’s “true” form is completely undetectable to the naked eye or any normal perception. Notably, she prefers to take on a human form, and prefers it to being immaterial. Whenever she has manifested as a human, it has consistently been the same (although she appears older than she did at the start). Currently, she is in Erkuss form, and has gold eyes.

Backstory: She was aware of time and space, but the universe was large and confusing. She could remember being very young and surrounded by others of her kind, but eventually they went away. She spent much of the remaining first quarter of her life asleep in deep space because she was too confused and lonely. When she awoke, she was very near to somewhere strange. Curious, she made her way to a strange and lively planet. It was 1922, and there were other people with intelligence and conversation and learning. She didn’t understand these people very well, but she loved them instantly. She flitted around the planet and figuratively absorbed as much knowledge as she could. Eventually, she learned enough of some of their languages to be able to understand their conversations and literature rather than simply their most basic feelings. She did not have a particularly large sense of self at this point, but she knew she loved to read. It was something of a pity that she could only do so by reading over others’ shoulders and waiting for them to turn the pages. There was joy in the sunlight and in snowfall. She watched children stick out their tongues to catch the snowflakes, and wished that were her.

In 1935, she was surprised to discover someone else that could understand her for the first time. As she roamed about Greece, an olive tree sensed her nearby, and greeted her. The conversation was confusing because it wasn’t anything like what humans discussed. She understood from the conversation that she was a rather young member of her species, and that it was uncommon for her to have woken up alone. The tree invited her to join in and be a tree, but she did not understand at all. Why would she want to be a tree when trees couldn’t have conversations? The tree disagreed and explained that trees were in regular communication and supported one another. And she wouldn’t be completely alone because there would be two of them, wouldn’t there? It would only need to be for one lunar cycle.

Reluctantly, she agreed. It was more difficult than she expected to become a tree, but she did it. Her perception was so different, and it was terrifying. She could no longer see or hear anything but the tree that was like her. But the sun felt wonderful, and the other plants in the area really were in communication with one another. While she appreciated the experience to learn, it was also a disturbing time. After thirty days, she promised the olive tree that she would visit again some day, which the tree found most pleasing. And she would visit a great many times throughout the years. But she didn’t like being a tree herself very much, so she would visit for days in her normal, incorporeal form, observe the humans, converse with her mentor, and then depart again. The tree expressed gratitude for her company, but was keen on living out the rest of their life as an olive tree.

She saw the wars, and these made her fear humans. During the first and largest one she saw... something clicked. If she could become a tree, couldn’t she become something else? She wanted to be human so very, very badly. She would be able to pick up books and shake hands and eat food and close her eyes to feel the sunshine on her skin. But the tree told her that she wasn’t old enough yet. And so she waited.

In 1964, as soon as she knew how old she was (and she was always conscious of that while awake) she braved her fears for the first time, and shifted into a human. It was so much easier than turning into a tree, and she felt herself become so overwhelmed with emotion that she cried. While she might have been grown, she was afraid of what came next. The people who found her asked her how old she was, and she said sixteen without really thinking about it. They accepted this, but then they asked for a name. She smiled with equal parts trepidation and enthusiasm, and chose her favorite among favorites of names that might suit her new human face.

Stella Sarasvati was a young woman with no connections, no relatives, no record of preparatory school education, and yet she excelled in academics. She managed to scrape her way into a university education despite her lack of means. The opportunity to study meant more than anything. Keeping her head down, Stella learned dutifully, and didn’t complain when others took credit for her contributions. A couple of her undergraduate observations and discoveries still stand on their own today- although credited to others.

Set to move on to further university study following her undergraduate education, Stella took some time to herself to do something other than studying. There had been breaks between school terms, sure, but she had never taken much of an opportunity to pay attention to anything other than the opportunity learn more things. Having hands that could pick up books and turn on televisions had kept her busy for the last 5+ years.

Certainly Stella had noticed other people before, certainly, but she had never had a lot of friends before- just academic acquaintances that were just as excited to unload science facts. Now she didn’t have distractions in the way, and she was able to notice people. The most frightening aspect was realizing that she was a person too with thoughts and feelings and wants outside of being able to learn everything possible. It was simultaneously exciting and terrifying.

Since she did not know how to process any of this, Stella turned to books. She had never paid much attention to fiction books before; they had been harder to follow over the shoulders of others before she had been human, so she hadn’t paid that much attention. Compounded with the years that she had spent watching movies, she came to the conclusion that she was in love with one of her neighbors, and this was something to be ashamed of. Stella and this neighbor had rarely exchanged words, but surely this was what was happening.

Stella couldn’t help herself and started talking to Emily more and more often as time went on. Perhaps she was reading into this too far, but it felt a lot like how all the books said true love was supposed to feel. She felt brave one day, and admitted her feelings. Emily didn’t take this well; it wasn’t really even about them both being women (although that seemed to be problematic too), but apparently Emily had been married the entire time to a soldier stationed elsewhere and this was “highly inappropriate”. There were still two weeks to go before she started her university program, and Stella didn’t know what to do with herself. Stella was so scared that she shifted out of human form. It was an impulsive move that she might not have made if she had any sort of support system. But she didn’t. And she couldn’t even think of going back to being a human for another month.

She regretted the decision immediately. Even if Stella went back, she had missed her opportunity to start up her studies on time. Emily would still be there. It wasn’t fair. If she had really been human, then none of this would have been feasible. It was like she really hadn’t been a person after all. She couldn’t even cry.

Stella went to visit the olive tree again, and it was clear that the tree couldn’t relate. They had never become a human and had no interest in doing so, but Stella’s friend understood that this was painful. She didn’t become a tree again, but she did take her human form again after a couple of months and tended to the tree. That felt right. She wouldn’t go back to getting her degree again, but she could still enjoy the good things about the world. Stella kept to herself, mostly. She made some human acquaintances- even some friends. But she never risked trying to admit feelings for anyone again. Finding true love was for other people. The world began to get more complicated. She shifted between her natural incorporeal state and human form throughout the decades.

One day in January of 2022, Stella happened upon another of her kind- not the same as the tree. While Stella had not been born on Earth, she had never been able to know for sure whether there was intelligent life in the universe beyond what she could reach. Apparently there was a name that some of her species had decided to call themselves: damartket. The new travel invited her to see the stars and planets beyond the solar system. Stella was so excited; she rushed and told the olive tree. She could tell that her friend was sad; even if being a tree was gratifying, this was new knowledge to the tree as well. While she couldn’t say for certain if the two of them would meet again, Stella expressed her appreciation for this shared friendship. Stella shifted into human form again (the same one she always assumed), and stepped onto the spaceship to see the stars.

It was nice... for a time. It took Stella a little while to understand that she had been invited onto the ship because it was full of space tourists fascinated by novel experiences... and she was one of the attractions. But she was free to go when the ship docked on some far-off planet. There was so much to see and hear, but she didn’t like the planet that she was on at all. It was overwhelming and confusing.

In late February of 2022, on the day of her cycle’s peak, she sneaked on board a ship. Now, she would have a lot of explaining to do if she was an entire person hiding, but if she was something smaller...? A rat wouldn’t do; she recalled that humans were unkind to those. But maybe another rodent could work. She stole some staples out of the food stores, and then shifted. The plan was to hide out for the thirty days, get off the ship when it docked somewhere friendlier, and shift when her cycle was complete. Unfortunately, a mechanic on the Prosperity found her one day, and the rest of the ship crew decided it would be a great idea to adopt this gerbil as their pet. Stuck for at least one extra cycle, Stella did her best to stay positive. She wouldn’t be able to shift back and forth unless her cycle managed to coincide with planetside time. Luckily, at the time of her second cycle’s conclusion, the ship happened to be docked on Earth. This gave her the opportunity to shift. Unfortunately, Stella failed to plan, and was now on board the ship without a great explanation...

Skills: Stella is uncannily intelligent, even though she does not necessarily act that way. Very high intelligence, very low wisdom.  While she can get a little overenthusiastic and appear to be an emotional whirlwind, she is deceptively analytical. She picks up on languages and how things work quickly. She has self-taught conversational competency in eight Earth languages (English, Greek, Spanish, French, Javanese, Indonesian, Turkish, and Catalan), and is well-versed in earth and atmospheric sciences. Her passion is the weather, and she can and will geek out about her fields of study with all of her heart.

Played by Lisa; 30 ; she/her ; pacific time

[ageofpiracyrp]

Other Ships on Molfaun

Barbra Murkl

Pronouns: She/her

Position: Captain of Steel Spider

Age: 34

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Queer

Species: Erkuss

Home Planet: Kraysha

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Aubin Wise

True Appearance: Barbra has gold eyes.

Information:

Barbra utilizes practical special effects and other interesting technology to pull off heists.

She works with her tech team to innovate some new effects herself.

She insists that her crew train for immunity in at least one poison.

About seven years ago, she had a fling with Julia Derringer seven years ago; it did not end well.

Is incredibly sex positive; she has remodeled the captain’s quarters to accommodate this.

Barbra was indeed named after Barbra Streisand. She goes by a lot of nicknames and her surname, honestly.

Barbra and Daphne Rux don’t not get along. They have a few things in common, after all.

Fleetwood Cofrizt

Pronouns: She/they

Position: First Mate of Steel Spider

Age: 90

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Pansexual

Species: Carrek

Home Planet: Kurrk

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Karen Gillan

True Appearance: Fleetwood has some color-changing properties, and can camouflage themselves. By default, she is generally the same vibrant color as her human appearance’s hair, but at will, that can change. Fleetwood has a crest on her head (a bit like a chameleon’s) which, when touched unexpectedly, does disrupt her ability to camouflage. She has some webbing on her fingers, and an unusually prehensile tail.

Information:

Fleetwood can be a bit of a loose cannon if you don’t have her under control, but Steel Spider’s captain has that under control. She is extensively trained in martial arts from across the galaxy, and gets restless if not learning sweet new moves.

She changed her name to Fleetwood (legally, where needed) after listening to Rumours because it was life-changing.

While Fleetwood isn’t venomous herself, they have made a strong effort to build up tolerance for other varieties.

She is exceedingly loyal to her captain, and this has been tested in a number of situations.

Dorian Yogart

Pronouns: He/him

Position: Captain of Tyrannosaurus Pecs

Age: 51

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Gay

Species: Human/Erkuss Hybrid

Home Planet: Kraysha, but he was actually born on a spaceship

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: John Barrowman

True  Appearance: Dorian has heterochromia in both eyes. Both eyes have portions that are red and pale blue.

Information:

Dorian may be a hybrid, but his human parent is not from Australia. He is the product of a one night stand between a pirate mother and a human father (whom he doesn’t know the identity of and doesn’t care to).

Dorian does not have a twin.

He grew up on pirate ships for the first seven years of his life, and only lived on Kraysha with his grandparents once his mother decided to slow down a little.

He is loud and flamboyant, which happens to obfuscate how scarily competent he is.

He excels in combat and (surprisingly) stealth missions.

The childhood dinosaur phase never ended. Cretaceous era forever!

Ket “Bucket” Logt

Pronouns: He/him

Position: First Mate of Tyrannosaurus Pecs

Age: Unknown

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Bisexual

Species: Far’Ly’Dae Damartrekt

Home Planet: Unknown; was first found on Haelen'Kor

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Shemar Moore

True Appearance: Bucket is tall and solidly built... as if from oak wood. He has very few leaves atop his head, and they rest against his skull.

Information:

He was found on Haelen’Kor with very few memories and a lot of confusion by some local Ly’Daesun. They gave him a name and nursed him back to health.

Fourteen years ago, the Tyrannosaurus Pecs ship came to his town on Haelen’Kor. After hitting it off with Dorian, Ket (nicknamed “Bucket” by his new friend), joined up with the crew.

He worked his way up the ranks, and is now proudly a high-ranking member of the Tyrannosaurus Pecs crew.

An easygoing guy, he is methodically good at combat. It’s almost like he can anticipate your moves.

Marlene Olgrubic

Pronouns: She/her

Position: Captain of Qraxoldov

Age: 78

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Lesbian

Species:  Vanneer

Home Planet: Marloken

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Rashida Jones

True  Appearance: Marlene’s plumage is matte navy and seafoam green. Her crossbill beak and talons are both a light copper.

Information:

Marlene used to be a part of the Olgrubic Traveling Circus. She, two of her siblings, and several of her cousins left the circus after a family blowout argument, and started the Qraxoldov pirate ship thirty-five years ago.

The captain-ship used to belong to her older cousin Herbert, but he stepped down so that he could garden on a little homestead on Freyn.

About half of her ship’s leadership positions are filled by family members, but it’s less nepotism and more proportion at this point. It isn’t just a ship of Vannirree, though- random people of various species (oddballs and misfits) have been picked up over the course of travels.

Marlene has the captain title due to her cool head and appropriately-timed sense of humor in the face of danger. She’s a good leader (and the voice of reason) among a very chaotic crew.

Fred Olgrubic

Pronouns: He/him, open

Position: Quartermaster of Qraxoldov

Age: 131

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Demisexual

Species: Vanneer

Home Planet: Marloken

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Giancarlo Esposito 

True Appearance: Fred is colored gray-green metallic all over with dexterous gold talons and a bronze crossbill beak.

Information:

Fred is perfectly happy being quartermaster. He doesn’t have to deal with the drama, and he can make sure that everything is in good shape.

The push to leave the circus with the rest of his family was largely prompted by Fred. The family elders running the show wanted to push the circus members to their physical limits, and Fred urged those who weren’t comfortable with this to leave.

Fred has a weakness for sweets.

Marlene is Fred’s favorite younger cousin, and he was her protector while she was growing up. The part of Fred’s family that treats him right means everything to him.

Fred is a highly accomplished dancer and acrobat.

[ageofpiracyrp]

The following characters have been accepted!

Stella Sarasvati, a Damartrekt Stowaway played by Lisa

Ali Izan, a Djayyar Earth Culture Expert and Translator played by Sarah

Reg, a Djayyar in Close Combat played by Ash

Salem Ilmari, a Vanneer Navigator played by Kimi

Please send in your accounts! Side blogs are okay! Looking forward have you and your characters join us here!