Elite roleplay: Citi Gateway

CITI GATEWAY

The Orbis station is a center of activity. Within the station a myriad of places can be found.
  • The Warrens: Where the poor plebs of the station live. It's is a breeding ground for the most unscrupulous. Keep an eye on your wallet when traversing the corridors of these areas.
  • Habitation Complex: For those workers and pilots that can afford it, this area provides closer to 1G gravity for more earth like living.
  • Commerce Divison: and Administration Where the larger corporations make their home. Station administration can be found here.
  • Industrial Complex: Where industry manufactures their various goods.
  • Entertainment: District Bars, theaters and night clubs, tattoo parlors and other establishments can be found vying for a commanders credits in exchange for a bit of fun.
  • Station Security: A high tech brig used to house law breakers until they can be tried, and or deported off station.
  • Medical Ward: Where commanders can get patched up, enhanced, or fix existing cybernetics.

General Roleplay Etiquette:

1. Control only the actions of your own character(s). (AKA: God Mode)
This doesn't matter how small the action is, even if it is as simple as scratching their nose or a direct reaction to something else that just happened. This applies to everything from casual conversation to full blown fight scenes. If you'd like someone to do something specific, PM that person, however keep in mind they are completely within their rights to say no. Especially if said action is inappropriate to their character and/or circumstance.

2. Don't brute force your way into another persons RP.
Approaching with a conversation starter is fine, or indeed some other small action. However charging in, guns blazing and disrupting the flow of another person/pair/groups conversation/arc is about as rude as doing so in real life. If something is going on that you'd like to participate in, be subtle about it. Put out a gentle hook for someone to take, but again, be aware that said hook may not be taken. If you fear it was simply unnoticed, PM the person or people it concerns. Or even leave a message in the OOC forums.

3. Good grammar and spelling is preferred.
We're not asking you to be perfect, but please at least demonstrate willingness. no1 iz gna tak u srsly usng txt spk. There's a wide variety of people here, many who speak English as a second, or even third language. There are even some with varying degrees of dyslexia and/or likely other issues that affect spelling/grammar. We accept them all here. However, people who aren't accepted, are those unwilling to accept polite correction. Remember that even a small thing like the placement of a comma, or the wrong use of there/their/they're can completely change the definition of an entire sentence.

4. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and politely.
If someone spots an issue with your writings, they may wish to help you improve that writing. They may do this through PM or even publicly air their thoughts on the OOC forum. If they have taken the time to be polite and explain what is wrong with your writing, the best way to behave is to respond in kind, using the same manner they have approached you with. It means they have taken an active interest in what you have written and wish to see more. Basically, you have a fan!

5. Don't take the actions or opinions of things done IN RP, to be directly relevant to the writers thoughts or opinions.
Basically, if some ones character calls your character a jackass, it doesn't mean the writer thinks you are a jackass. It's a ROLE they are PLAYING. Watch a movie. The argument between the characters isn't an argument between the actors involved. The same applies here.

6. It's not a popularity contest.
Your RP might be bustling with participants. You have 3 people off station in a fire fight, while another 2 are infiltrating the darkest areas of the station, meanwhile a group of 4 others are tracking your movements in an effort to stop you. Good for you, I'm sure it will be a thrilling read! But you know what? Sometimes the absolute BEST work, comes from two RP characters having a simple heart to heart. Both are valid, both are great, but NEITHER is categorically better than the other. Period.


Inara RP Etiquette:

1. Respect the setting and rules of the universe.
Inara is an Elite: Dangerous 3rd Party Tool. The RP Forums are set in the Elite: Dangerous universe. Elite: Dangerous has rules, as any fictional universe does from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, or Game of Thrones to Star Trek. If you intend to RP within the Elite: Dangerous universe you are bound by the history and rules of that universe. Simply put, this RP forum is bound by the same rules as the game, so if it can't be done in the game, it is not permitted here. This applies to things from a 50Ly Jump Range on a normal, unmodified Sidewinder, to the destruction of entire stations.

2. Respect the characters created by others.
We have a wide variety of characters already here. It's expected that some will be similar, just as it's expected that two characters will be vastly different. Opinions of each persons character will naturally be varied, but all are valid provided they follow the rules of the universe. You are allowed to interact with, or avoid interaction with, any character in the RP forums. But you have no right to belittle others for their creation. You are not an authority figure on writing, nor are you directly affected by another persons imagination. You might not like it, but you MUST respect it.

3. Be caught up on current events before joining in.
You need basic things like character descriptions in order to interact with them. You also need to know what's going on in the surrounding areas. This is simply because the people you are hoping to RP with, might be gearing up to something that you might not want to be part of. Or simply that the most recent post, out of context, could leave a different impression on the goings on than if you gather that context. We don't expect you to read every single post from the beginning of the forums, just enough to get that basic understanding.

4. Either subscribe to, or frequently check, the Roleplay: Q&A and OOC forum.
People may be discussing something relevant to you there, or even discussing you directly. Perhaps someone asked what the general consensus on the existence or non-existence of a certain object. Or we're just chatting about random gibberish. Either way, be aware of it and use it. If you're unsure about something, such as how guns would look and or behave, or even the music selection, use the OOC forum to ask. We don't have all of the answers, but the collective knowledge and logic usually allows us to overcome an issue and come to a decision on what should be allowed. Frontier Developments, and even David Braben himself, don't have the answers to every possible question that can be asked.

5. Large Scale events exploding out of nowhere are a complete no go.
We get it. Everyone wants their character to be noticed and for people to be tripping over themselves to interact with them. In some audiences, an introduction involving you blasting in for landing in a fiery wreckage of a ship, before cart wheeling out and sword fighting 35 Ninjas before whisking off with the local celebrity for a glorious night of passion, is in fact, cool. This is not one of those audiences. It is generally considered better to build your character up slowly over time. Eventually, you might even have a legitimate excuse to fight those Ninjas. Maybe even with other RP participants by your side.

6. Perfect characters are boring.
The point of a character arc, is that it is in fact, an arc shape. One who is morally unquestionable, fully kitted out and an infinite fountain of knowledge, cannot go through an arc. Give your character flaws. Be it a tendency towards befriending the wrong people, or a bad knee that frequently gives out at inopportune moments. It gives readers something to latch onto and empathise with. You can give your character exceptional capabilities at something, but it requires balance. She's a damn good pilot with no equal, but can't drive an SRV for peanuts. It can lead to some very interesting moments between characters, be it heartfelt or comedic.


Other Notes:
It should be noted that there can be exceptions to these points. For example, good grammar when a character is speaking is actually rare. Few people in real life actually speak with perfect eloquence after all. Or previously arranged actions during a fight scene, such as someone stumbling back after a punch. What's key to remember is context.

All in all, remember this is purely for fun. We have some seriously talented writers here, and others whose writing history starts and ends at high school. But many are willing to help out in whatever way they can. All it takes is that you ask nicely.

Also keep in mind that many people who RP here, also have logbook stories related to the character, or characters, they portray. If it looks like there's an "in joke" going on that you're unsure of, it's probably in those.

In fact, some users have even gone to the trouble of creating "alts" to RP with. If you read back far enough, it's usually pretty clear who has and hasn't, and which ones are the "alts". It's therefore not unheard of to see the apparent seizing of control of other characters. If you do spot one, point it out in the OOC section. If intervention is needed, it will be sorted quickly and (hopefully) politely.

Most, if not all RP participants here have Logbook stories pertaining to their character(s). These are for the reading pleasure of anyone who wishes to do so. While it can be useful to read them in order to gain a bit of backstory on a character you wish to interact with, it should not be assumed that your character shares that knowledge. Within the E:D Universe, these Logbooks either don't exist, or are private diaries kept by the characters. Either way, without explicit statements to say otherwise from the writer, your interactions should reflect that your character is in the dark about any information you, the writer/reader, have gained from reading the stories.
29 Apr 2023, 11:33am
After leaving the bar at a shame induced jog, Willow was glad to get an elevator to her self. Coming down to the central spine of the station meant losing the half a gee worth of force the ring gave. Floating was much more Willows thing.

Undoing her mag-shoes in her room, Willow push up and drifted out of them, tumbling and floating as she got undressed for bed. The jet-shower could wait for the morning, all she did before getting in her suspended sleeping bag was brush her teeth. Willow had a new message form Descartes and she was eager to read it.

Tucked up in her cosy bag, she pulled the zipper up to her chin, and and red the message.

"You mean to tell me you're trying to rebuild a Goid ship? Are you mad? I know you have a penchant for toxic chemicals but a Goid ship? What kind of outfit are you working for?

Descartes"

All the worry about being given the brush off was gone. Sometimes a misunderstanding could be fun, unlike the one that had made Descartes leave that morning, or the one in the bar just now. Willow got to typing with a happy grin on her narrow face.

"No, not like rebuilding an alien ship, but like, that'd be a thing you know? For real. I'm on a station crew repairing Citi after the Goids attacked it. Like wow, you must have been gone a long time huh?"

"So its like this, the Goids have gone loco and are attacking like, for real now. It's real scary, but work needs doing and I'm EMU tech qualified. That's like, a spacewalking mechanic you know? Yeah, so I'm doing that for now. Kind of back to basics for me"

"So, I got a real early start so I better try to sleep. Good night Descartes. Stay safe out there xoxo"
30 Apr 2023, 3:22pm
OOPS Wrong thread.

Last edit: 30 Apr 2023, 3:27pm
03 May 2023, 10:54pm
Last connected post in The Bar

No one was in the mood to drink after the bar thing. Everyone but Ephrain was in a bit of a mood, so Willow left the bottle with Damran, he'd bring it out at the right time.

Another good thing was following the guys out the bar. They didn't say anything, but the looks they gave her for catching up with a bottle in hand felt like she has won some points with all of them, including Ephrain.

Mark was the one she felt sorry for. How scared must he and his wife be to send their children to Colonia, and sell years of their working life to pay for it! Wow, the guy was so quiet and calm too. He must have been hurting, but keeping it all inside.

Climbing into her bag, Willow tried not to let the company cutting their meal ticket down, or the extra work swim around her head. Or the thing about Mark and the rest of the night in the bar. It was tough. Then her work pad pinged a message.


'Hey, it's 'me'. You know, that other woman with black hair from the bar. God, I sound weird. Do I? Anyway. I figured I'd just send this over in case I end up leaving the station tomorrow.

Really just want to say I'm sorry about the way I responded when you first approached a few days ago, but I was a bit on edge from that weird guy bothering me. Well, and for shouting at your team today. Or two of them, anyway. I just get really annoyed and defensive when accused of stuff that isn't true, and by people who don't know me. Hope you're not too mad at me for it.

Oh, and name's Kira, by the way.'

She read it again, and wondered how.. that didn't matter. Talking to someone over text was way less stressful than talking to them in person. She'd found that out with Descartes.

"Hi, so yeah, I kind of saw that with the guy you know, but like. . I mean I don't know I tried to help out and sort of lost my way I guess. And tonight was, Ephrain you know. Ok maybe you don't. He's the one with the shaved head and the beard that does all the talking. He waaay much, for real. But, so I'm going to bed, and I got like real long shifts, but maybe I'll see you around the station. Night
04 May 2023, 4:55pm
Silvia is out in the Citi Gateway eating at a Mongolian grill. She is browsing a social media app when a message comes through from Desdar.

"Hello Silvia, we're away of 69 G. Carinea. We have had trouble, it was a trap, but we are safe now. I thought to find you on Jameson but since you're not here, we meet at where we first met? Expect that HE knows where you are, so please be careful."

She closes her tablet and finishes her meal. She pays the chef and leaves a generous tip. Silvia grabs her belongings and proceeds to the room she reserved. She showers and grabs a pair of night clothes and places her plasma pistol nearby her bed. She pulls out her data tablet and writes a response back. Encrypting it to prevent a potential trace.

"Desdar.... what do you mean trouble? Is everyone alright? I had left Jameson since my place had been too unsettling for me to be in alone. Stay where you are. In the mean time you can use my residence as room and board. I will meet you there. Things at the Gateway are far to hectic to be safe. Ok well be seeing you soon.

--Silvia"

She lays down for a brief rest before she departs to Jameson in the morning.
04 May 2023, 9:09pm
Sitting in the Type 6 PDP eating lunch, Willow at last had time to read her messages. There was only one and it was from that woman in the bar, Kira. It gave her something to do while she ate her cold pak-o-pie with extract, and a distraction from the guys was always welcome.

‘I don’t know, still feel like I could have reacted better there. Like, not trying to come across like I wasn’t interested, you know?

Anyway, been meaning to ask… do I look like this ‘Dee’ much that you, like… I don’t know, mistook me for them? Just asking. Stuff like that just happens sometimes.

Not really sure if I’ll be on the station much longer, though. Not sure I can be, to be honest. Shouldn’t really be here to begin with…

If I do hang around, try to keep me off that Ephrain guy. I don’t like belligerent smartasses, and if he gets mouthy at me again, I might feel tempted to teach him a lesson. And I’d rather not cause trouble for the station. Would also pose problems for my plan to (eventually) apologize to your team.

Kira’

It seemed getting to know people was like, hard. Real hard. There was always something in the way for Willow, but other people didn't seem to have any problem. There was a lot going on with the message from Kira, and Willow didn't want to deal with most of it. Honestly it reminded her of how she would always over explain things, usually making her sound much worse.

Hi K

I'm on lunch at last, like the shift is never ending you know?
So right this Dee is just the first
No wait, I was trying to pretend to be someone you knew well so like that guy would think like Oh, she's here with a friend and you could say something like Hi .. Jill, yeah great to see you let's catch up over here away for this guy. You know like a trick. Guess I saw it on a holo and gave it a shot
Life isn't a holo right?

Oh and yeah, there's a Dee, but you guys don't look the same, and she totally hates being called Dee.
See you round and like look out for creeper guys.


Having time to think and type a messages without having to work out what to say on the spot was way less stressful. Willow idly started imagining a kind of place where people could meet up and sit across real wide tables, and just type to each other while the staff did free refills, and brought over snacks.

Honestly, that sounded like the way to make friends. She'd still be getting out there like Ash had told her to, but she would be safe from messing it up by using something as difficult to navigate as talking.

Flexing her aching arms, Willow smeared another dip of extract onto her pie and chewed thoughtfully, imagining her text bar.
05 May 2023, 12:59pm
Having gotten hungry as well as bored in my ship, while I was also lazy and not in the mood for pre-cooked meal, I’d started hunting the station for somewhere that looked like a decent place to eat.

A guide available on the public station network was most helpful in my endeavor, handily guiding me around the section that I found myself in. I settled on something that, by all the looks, appeared to primarily serve Italian food.

I cautiously approached the place, never feeling too easy going into one, especially by myself. Thankfully, it had terminals to place an order, without any human contact needed, and I quickly selected what I wanted, with the option to take it away.

I paid at the machine there and then, sitting down at the table it told me to wait at. My request to not have onions in it would likely result in a raised eyebrow or two, but I hated them in anything, and made bad experiences during prior orders elsewhere.

I thanked the server who brought over the food - a simple dish of pasta with cream and cut ham - and my drink, then left and found a quiet corner to eat in. While doing so, I observed the passing crowds, to see if a familiar face was inside them.
08 May 2023, 10:06am
It was quiet, nice and quiet and Willow was in a deep sleep lulled by the hum of the distant motors turning the habitation ring. Some people wouldn't call that quiet at all, but Willow grew up on a ship with a lot of brothers and sisters.

The never ending drone of an overworked power-plant was a lullaby for her, and the driving of mighty gears rolling through the superstructure of the station was just as comforting. Then her work-pad went off, and Willow reached for it in a sleepy stooper, dreading it was Ridge calling her telling her the day off was canceled.


Hi Will

Not sure if you got my last message - you probably did, and are just busy, which is fine - but I just wanted to say I’ll have to leave today.
It’s for… important stuff. Things I can’t stay here for. About the Thargoids, and… well, some people tried to ‘find’ me like a day ago.
I’d like to explain. Talk, just you and me, if that’s fine with you. I’ll be at the bar until tonight, if you get a chance to drop by. If not, maybe call?

- Kira


The eyes blurred the text, but Willow read it again just to make sure she understood it before typing a response.

Yeah hi
I did get the message but like soo busy you know. On my day off now, but like I got a ton of sleep to catch up on. I'll come by the galactic tonight or what ever station time is when I wake up.

Sorry, I'm super sleepy.
C U soon Will.


She was asleep again as soon as she'd zipped up her sleeping bag.
11 May 2023, 9:36am
"So their in Stroms now. Ooee thats gotta be some ride" said Damran while he sat at one of the tables outside Doogie waiting for his hot-wings.

The rest of the team, Mark Ephrain and Willow had ordered from other places, but Doogies was Damran's choice, and Damran was the boss. There were so many maintenance staff eating down here now, thanks to the meal tickets being honoured, owners didn't care where people sat, because business was booming.

"And good luck to them" Added Ephrain "Going into unknown, and certainly hostile territory with out Guardian modules and weapons doesn't sound very wise to me"

"Just like security, you make a better lock, some asshole works out a better hack. Goids beat the Guardian advantage, our work arounds won't last long against them" Said Mark "We need to press the advantage while we got it"

"What advantage?" Asked Ephrain, ever ready to piss on anyone parade "All we are doing is scouting, and if you can believe our resident hive-psychic, they know our scouts are coming. I see a trap, not a frontier to be probed. Still, we can't stand still if we expect to progress; I just wouldn't send our best and brightest pilots in there first"
11 May 2023, 9:43am
Dipping her Un-meat-abel stake into a puddle of extract, Willow dared to venture an opinion. A dangerous thing to do the Ephrain in ear shot.

"So, I'm reading here that like, people running reboot-and-loot jobs are coming across hostile Thargoid probes. And like, that's what my family used to do from out ship when I was little"

Willow was still little, and the team teased her about it, so Willow jumped on it before they could.

"Yeah, so littler. Whatever, but I really wanna call mom and find out if they are steering clear of that shit, but like, I really want to go see them for my self"
11 May 2023, 9:54am
That caused Ephrain to look up from his Holo-pad for once. "What sort of fool would chose to face Goid's on foot? There are no Anti-Goid hand weapons, and our best caustic resistant suits only last a half second longer then stand suits. It would be the actions of a complete lunatic to want to go looking for them, Transyl"


Transyl was there name for Willow now. Damran had called her Transylvania Highs head cheerleader thanks to her sombre look, pale skin and black make-up. The name stuck.

"True, but the pay has got to be great, and so many want to be the first to do a thing. Did I mention the pay?" Said mark.

Ephrain just dismissed Marks comment. Mark was right, money could make even very sensible people do stupid things. It was more destructive than love, but at least with money, there was a better chance of getting something worth while out of it in his opinion.

"You said ya kin used to load up on Meta Alloys too" said Damran directing his question at Willow "You had run ins with the lil ones before?"
11 May 2023, 10:02am
"Like, yeah, loads you know? I mean its like anyone you take stuff from; if they don't catch you, its fine. Yeah so, its not fine, its like stealing for real, but you know what IU mean right?"

She hadn't explained it well, and the blank looks from Mark and Damran told her that. Ephrain was reading his pad.

"Like, we never went into their real big structures, like, the so called map room. We just scooted around the spines in buggies looking for ripe buds you know? The drones were there, but like, we gave them a wide birth and never fired if they were close by. Only time the Goids ever give us shit was if we had Meta in the hold when they scanned us. But like, we'd just drop a some of the alloys and run"
31 May 2023, 1:11pm
You know, working the sola systems lets you see the best and the worst of the station right? It's like you're getting ready for a dangerous job that no one gives a fuck about; they are all like, "Can't you keep the lights on in this place?" with no idea how much wok goes on just so they can complain about hoe crappy the station is, but we get rewarded with views they will never see you know?



But I get where they are coming from right? I mean like, we got a work force, but the station has a real limited budget after the Goids shutdown the whole system. So while we're out busting our asses just to keep the air flowing, the visitors are seeing the garbage and closed sections of the station.



So we need to pull together right? To get everything back the way it should be. Sure, that's easy to say from a cockpit where you can just fly away from the shitstorm when it gets to much, but that ain't the case for all the displaced people that have lost everything. Like its hard to get in to the community spirit when what's left of your family are living in a relief camp.

So yeah, I guess I'm saying that bitch can stick her message of thanks, and call to unity up her fat-ass until she's been on the ground tasting the fruits of the AX's labours.
31 May 2023, 1:30pm
A fork full of scrambled egg with a large slice of sausage stopped on its was to Damran's mouth.

"Damn Will, what the hell crawled up ya'butt this mornin?" her attitude was putting him off his breakfast.

"Its got to be that message everyone got from Aegis" Said Mark "Seems our lil vamp has had time to mull it over and ..She dose not velcom zee introozion" he said in a classic holo-accurate vampire accent.

"Sounds to me like unfocused resentment" added Ehprain "While it is true many freelance pilots do dip their toes in the defence effort and fly away the moment it gets all to real, more guns are always needed. At the end of the day, a conflict requires participants; and the side that fields more bodies usually has the advantage. As a wise man once said, war never changes"
31 May 2023, 2:22pm
"No, it not like that. So ok, yeah, it is a little bit, but like only a little and, dude" said Willow directing her attention to Mark " that crappy accent has got to be offensive to someone, like almost as offensive as calling me Transil. Come on guys, jeez. Think about it before you say it"

Working with older guys was a chore sometime. The "From a different time" defence was getting real old for Willow, and didn't carry much weight anyway.

"No, like what pissed me off was the tone of the message you know? Its all, Oo pilots are so great, your all so great. Let me suck your dick. Oo oo. Oh, and like, there are some casualties on the side. Like, I feel sorry for you guys .. But pilots are great aint they? and so is Aegis, so we'll just carry on doing it our way. Bye bye"

Mopping up the last of he extract with toast, Willow paused for the last bite of food before the shift started.

"So yeah, I'm real glad we got pilots on the front line, but like they get all the glory while they wade through the blood of civilians. And like, hardly any of them ever look down to see who's back they are standing on before they turn their face to another star and continue the hunt for kills counted in credits taken from the pockets of the invaded"

"Yeah, thank you and fuck you"

She was surprised how she honestly felt. She'd lived like that her self not so long ago; flying from system to system looking for governments that had failed so catastrophically, they had basically gone into receivership meaning she could get paid for turning the lights back on. She was free to "Salvage" what ever she found in a shutdown site, as wall as getting paid to do the job in the first place. What right did she have to judge?

Maybe this 'real work' thing had got into her head too deep. Perhaps it was time to get back in the cockpit and follow her true passion, undertaking. That was honest work, and with her sense of morel duty to the departed and the people they left behind, rewarding. She liked the person she was when she was lending comfort to the grieving.
10 Jun 2023, 2:32pm
After the collapse in the bar I woke up in the hospital again. I looked around at my surroundings and found Melli curled up next to me in the bed. IVs and heart rate monitors are hooked up to me. The medical staff also had a cooling blanket on me to help regulate my body temps.

The resident nurse walks in and notices I'm awake.

'Hey there how are you feeling?'

'What?....ugh.... I feel like I was hit by a sidewinder.'

'You are lucky Mrs. Duval. If you hadn't been brought in when you were there is a chance we would not be having this conversation.'

'It's Sharpe now. This is the second time I have been told I am lucky to be alive in the last 2 weeks.... What was it this time? Did my implant cause this or?'

The nurse looks over my charts a look of concern appears on her face.

'No the implant had nothing to do with it but..... It says here that you had a heat stroke induced from a TBI and overworking yourself. You should be ok to leave in a couple of hours. But you must be cautious and allow your body time to recover from your..... accident..'

The nurse places the chart back and leaves the room. I look around a feeling of sadness washes over me as I think back on recent events. Melli remains curled up on the bed sleeping and I decide to do the same. The nurse was right I had overworked myself as of late and my body needed to recover. I close my eyes and fall asleep.


Last edit: 10 Jun 2023, 10:25pm

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