nova skies

Bo nodded his head. He had thought as much, thought that the most popular simulations would likely end up being the experiences that everyone had just willingly left behind on Earth. "I wonder if that'll do us any good," he mused. "I wonder if it'll make people feel satisfied about their decision, or if it'll make 'em regret it." Bo was speaking as if he wasn't a passenger on the starship himself; it clearly hadn't hit him, not just yet, which made sense considering that he was a last minute sign up for the voyage.

Darío shrugged, “I’m not sure. I would keep an eye on those that seem to be repeat costumers to those things. They might be feeling homesick and need someone to lean on.” He looked back to the machines, tilting his head a it, curiously looking it over. It was fascinating to him how everyone was so eager to get off earth, to leave it all behind, off for a brand new adventure with new things to try, only for them to suck themselves right out of the experience and quickly dive right back into it. He doesn’t think he’ll ever want it, though, because he truly couldn’t get far enough from earth. “Well,” he says, mostly thinking out loud, “I would be sucked in if they started offering concert experiences. That would be neat.”

Jin had found the park mostly by accident, following a corridor he hadn’t tried yet until it opened up into something that felt familiar and new at the same time. He took a moment to take it in, the green, the simulated warmth on his face, the smell of something that wasn’t just recycled ship air… He hadn’t realised how much he’d missed this until now. Jin was many things, but an outdoorsy person he was not. However, being on a space ship might just turn him into one. 

He found a relatively quiet spot under a tree, and was sitting with his back against the bark, headphones half on, half off, and watched the light filter through the leaves of the tree  he was leaning against. That’s when he saw him, just casually sitting on a bench, in all his… perfection. It took Jin a moment to realise who he was looking at, and he almost let out the first and only gasp of his life when he realised where he had seen him before. (No, it wasn’t actually on the cover of a magazine, but the man certainly belonged on one). 

Jin blinked. Surely not… right? No. That was definitely Mateo. He could pick those lashes and lips out from a line-up anywhere. Of all the places Jin thought he’d ever run into one of his past hook-ups, a god damn space ship was definitely not one of them. The corner of Jin’s mouth pulled up despite himself, and he stood up from his spot under the tree. 

Mateo didn’t look up right away when Jin’s voice cut through the quiet, he kept his attention focused on his cosmo link, just letting the corner of his lips curl ever so slightly as the other's voice settled in his mind. He let them sink, like ink, into his skin and dissolve into his veins. If they hadn't been in public, Mat would have surely shoved Jin against the nearest surface for a kiss by now. He'd be a liar if he said he hadn't thought about that night repeatedly, despite telling himself it was just a really fun time. Perhaps he was imagining the other's voice, god knows he's tried to hold on to what it sounded like since he last heard it, or maybe the cosmos were playing a rather cruel prank on him.

There was only one way to find out.

He turned his head, lashes lifting, and there he was—those soft, familiar eyes, his scent clouded him, he had to remind himself of self-restraint for a split second. Despite what he felt internally, externally was an entirely differently person. “Hello, Jin,” he murmured, like he was tasting the moment, that name on his tongue, more than reacting to it. He shifted, angling himself a little more toward Jin, arm draping across the back of the bench. He wanted to touch him, if only to make sure he was real. “I mean… if I had followed you,” he says, voice lilting with quiet amusement, “I’d at least like to think I’d be more subtle about it.” A small pause, just enough for the tease to breathe. “But who knows. I’ve heard space does funny things to people. Makes them do bold, questionable, incredibly romantic things.” His gaze flickered over Jin’s face, unhurried, recommitting him to memory.

location: observatory

on days that kermit isn't working, he likes to spend some of his time in the observatory. he finds a sense of peace in being able to look out into the vastness of space, like somehow, he just knows everything will be okay when he looks out there. it's a silly thought, but it provides him some comfort, leaving earth wasn't an easy choice for him.

he hadn't been able to sleep much, tossing and turning in his bed, so he decided to come here. it had to be the very early hours of the morning, but then again, time didn't really matter here. he looks into the screen displaying footage of outer space, sitting cross-legged in front of it. when he hears footsteps approaching, he turns his head in their direction. "morning. or...whatever time it is here. i didn't think anyone would be up this early. you have trouble sleeping too?"

Even now, it surprised him how small he really was in the grand scheme of life. As he walked further into the room he finds himself surprised to have stumbled upon another person already there. It wasn’t too surprising, really, but he just wasn’t expecting to find someone else awake during the time it felt everyone else was sound asleep. “Hey,” he greets, voice soft and gentle, approaching the other. “Good morning, evening, whatever time of the day you wish it to be. I just hope it’s a good one so far.” He looked from the guy to the display, “I don’t think I’ll ever get the hang of proper sleep. I didn’t back on earth and it seems less likely up here, ya know?” He chuckled, softly, looking back to the other. “And you? By the way, if it’s okay, can I sit with you?”

Open starter for @pigeonstart Located at Another World Virtual Reality Centre

Bo wasn't feeling particularly ready to to dive into any virtual reality scenarios just yet, not with the throbbing shiner consuming a great part of his face. The thought of encasing a black eye in those goggles made him wince, but even so, he had come to check out what was available. He had been an avid enjoyer of VR games back on Earth, and while he was excited about his new adventure in his real life, he thought that it was only a matter of time before he'd be going back to his old habits.

“Believe it or not, I think it’s going to be the most earth like things. Walking around the stars is great, except there are stars all around us, but scuba diving? Driving? Now that’s…” he wagged his finger in the other guy’s direction, “that’s different. Suddenly we don’t have the luxury of getting in a car and taking off. There are no oceans out here, unlike on earth. And now, when we suddenly don’t have access to those very day things we used to, I think people will want them more. Either homesick or they will want something they can’t have.”

"How likely do you think those two will make things on board interesting?" Nodding towards a couple, how they were making out in the hot tub overlooking the stars, before smirking at her acquaintance. "First, they introduced themselves to each other. They swam together, talking, laughter between them. Then, they started fighting over in the water park because that one—" she says, pointing to the tallest of the two, "looked at the lifeguard a second too long. Now, they're kissing and making up in the hot tub, which is definitely need to be disinfected after they're done. All within the past twenty minutes. Now, my theory is that they're already a couple, and taking advantage of this adventure to start a new life and have a little fun by pretending to not know each other. I work fast, but not that fast. What do you think? Already got your eye on anyone, or simply enjoying the beginning of our voyage among the stars?"

👽𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: burcu yilmaz & up to player ( @pigeonstart )

🧑‍🚀𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: the acquatic centre

"How ready are you to fuck an alien?" Their grin grew mischievous. "I'm just saying: a lot could happen in the next twenty to twenty-five years before we get there! What if these Cosmo thingamajigs are genetically mutating us, slowing our physical ages to make us live longer and look like we're ten, fifteen years younger than our biological age? What if aliens also move to Mundus Meus, causing us to co-live with them? Do you think they could be homogeneous or diverse, just like humans? What if we could procreate with them? What do you think a human-alien hybrid baby would look like? Ugly-cute or cute-cute or ugly-ugly-but-in-a-cute-way?"

👽𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: iris clover & up to player ( @pigeonstart )

🧑‍🚀𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: space gamers

"Did you ever imagine this? Growing up?" Ora stocked up some records before glancing over. It was weird: going to work, as if in any other regular place... Yet if you looked out any window, there was stars. There were planets. "Y'know, when I was a kid, I had a dream where I was lying on a planet, yet there were stars and planets all around me. I was reclining back, just like I would under a tree, but there was no gravity. No spacesuit to keep me safe. Just space, and I could bounce from planet to planet if I wanted to. This feels pretty close to that. It's... surreal. Like any moment, I'll wake up in my shitty bedroom, hearing my shitty roommates throughout our shitty house, ready to tackle Toronto for the day."

👽𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: morgan "ora" hotchner & up to player ( @pigeonstart )

🧑‍🚀𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: turntable express