TDM 001

[raiamods]

TEST DRIVE MEME 001 ❀

CONTENT WARNINGS: potential character nudity, violence, trypophobia (images) as well as light mentions of gore.

Please note: FOR THE FIRST 24 HOURS AFTER 'HATCHING', CHARACTERS WILL FEEL WEAK AND ANY POWERS THEY HAVE WILL NOT WORK.

Test drive meme threads can be considered game canon for players who are later accepted and wish to keep their CR. The rescue mission prompt will be a TDM-exclusive, but the other prompts that you see here will also appear on our first game log. There will, of course, be more going on that week.

Please reserve questions about consequences for altering or meaningfully investigating the setting for the first log of the game, where we will have a Mod Questions thread at the top of the log. On this test drive meme, please reserve this thread for clarification and setting questions.

On the first day of reserves (May 10th), only players who participate in the TDM will be allowed to reserve. You must link an AC-length thread from the TDM for early access. Starting on the 11th, any prospective player may submit a reserve. Our hope is that this will avoid overwhelming our reserves.

❀ HATCHING

Congrats, you've woken up in an egg. I'm sure this is exactly how you wanted to spend your Saturday, right? There's no time to get curious and check out the other egg sacs. By the time you've fought your way out of the membranous sac, spilled electric blue goop everywhere, wiped it out of your eyes and sundry other orifices to get your bearings, you have a spear (or a gun) leveled at your face, throat, or other vital organs. Even if you might be inclined to fight, you can barely lift your arms to protest being grabbed and dragged off. Before you can even get a word in edgewise, you've been thrown into a holding cell.

Characters will not have a chance to retrieve their items at the time of the first hatching, and may not even know there is anything left in the remaining eggs.

The holding cell stinks of something sour and acidic, like rotted citrus, but you are not alone. Several other detainees sit in similar squalid confusion, dressed strangely and equally gooey. Time to make nice, ask questions... figure out what the hell is going on, and maybe do something about all that slime?

Over the next few days, a few things become clear. Despite the alien greeting, your captors speak a language that you understand, and the unpleasant circumstances are revealed to be a matter of necessity, not choice. Supplies are low, but they ensure that the new arrivals' time imprisoned is as painless as can be — they offer hot communal showers of less than three minutes, some strange starchy meal-replacement, and medical treatment to those in need. You might strike up a conversation with your new best friend in the shower over a low soap dispenser or when you realize you might need to share towels.

The cost of these luxuries comes in the form of touch-and-go interrogation by the security officers keeping tabs on the cells and supervising the shower time.

A few notes:

☆ Your character may get pulled away for interrogation at some point. No torture, no drugs; just questioning.

☆ Locals will be stopping by outside the freestanding holding cells to ogle or ask questions. Are you really going to be mean to that little kid staring at you with wide eyes?

☆ Characters will be let out for bio breaks. No one has to pee in a bucket, that's just inhumane!

☆ Attempts to escape will probably get you tasered. The mods will not facilitate escape-plots/etc on test drive memes. However: if you app and are accepted you are more than welcome to chat with us about the possibility of having escaped or attempted it.

❀ EXPLORE THE BASECAMP

On the heels of a little benign interrogation, a medical inspection, and a stern talking to by Captain Childe, the survivors at Basecamp Leviathan determine one thing: you don't appear to be an active threat.

Released from the detention center after three days, you are given the run-down by the locals — you're on a planet called Ethyraia, and the people around you are survivors of the catastrophic crash of the UCSS Adamant several years prior. You, in fact, showed up on the third anniversary of the crash. Weird coincidence, huh?

You're being allowed to mingle with the others. The first order of the day is having a proper meal at the mess hall — some of the Adamant's survivors will be friendlier than others. They've been stranded here for years, remember? Some of them will be so desperate to talk to someone who has news of other places, and some will be giving you the cold shoulder.

You'll be fed the same as the rest of them. A plastic plate of crumbled protein of unidentifiable origin and gravy over rice with a single wilted stalk of broccoli and a cup of the worst coffee you've ever had. Maybe somebody bumps into you and spills said coffee, maybe you make it all the way to one of the long tables set out for communal eating.

Time to strike up a chat with your neighbor — maybe ask them to pass the salt?

(What do you mean, there's no salt!?)

After a meal — it's hard to say which one you'd call it, since the whole crew is on rotating schedules — you may decide to wander the basecamp. Folks in every department could use a hand. Those willing to help out may get friendlier reception than those who play the tourist. For more info on what else you might find, check out the LOCATIONS page.

During this time, characters will be able to return to the Central Chrysalis where they hatched. While there are no clues as to how they got there, they might find items — their own, or someone else's. Everyone is strapped for supplies, but try not to snatch up anything that isn't yours. The security officers don't look kindly on people chasing one other down the hall, trying to get back their dirty magazines.

A few notes:

☆ Feel free to help out anywhere. Every little bit of assistance you offer to the locals will raise their estimation of you. You could easily help clean dishes after the meal, help fix leaky piping or repair hammocks. You could stop by the aid station and assist with the wounded. You'll be watched closely and some of the survivors will be warier than others, but most will appreciate the opportunity to have a 'break'.

☆ If your character leaves the basecamp and wanders outside the Leviathan, they may begin to notice that what they perhaps took as a giant cave is actually an enormous dragon. Everything they see that seems 'human made' will look varying levels of worn down, patched, repaired and patched again. This is not a place of prosperity and happiness. Many people are recently injured, or have new scars or missing limbs.

☆ PCs will be warned about going beyond the shade of the dragon's wings. For the sake of the test drive mods will not be facilitating plots that deal with characters going further; we ask that players with an interest in exploring this wait until the game is fully open.

❀ RESCUE MISSION

"There's no time to waste," the woman says breathlessly as she grabs your arm. She pulls you to an augmented reality sand table and you will find yourself standing alongside some of the others you may recognize as having 'hatched' with you. There are murmurs by the Adamant's survivors as they pour over data. Maybe you remember Captain Childe from the stern interrogation she gave you a few days ago, but in any case but she's standing at the edge of the sand table looking at the distance scaled between the enormous huddle of HUD badges — the Adamant's survivors — and a tiny pocket of pulsing green some fifteen kilometers away.

"They knew better," Captain Childe says, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "They should have been back hours ago."

"Fucking scientists," says a man with a faintly French accent. He is scarred and battle-worn, and looks properly pissed off. He's also sporting several fresh injuries, one of which seems to have warranted the use of a crutch. "They'd lose their heads if they weren't attached. Let them wait out the storm."

"No," the captain says. "They're too close to the Rat Nest. We don't need a repeat of —" she trails off, as if seeing you for the first time. She looks you up and down, and then: "You've been told by now that everyone here has to pitch in. If you know how to fight, be ready in ten minutes. You're our rescue squad." She turns and walks out, and there's an awkward moment where everyone present is looking at you to make a choice.

Ten minutes really isn't a lot of time to get ready to walk into danger. Or maybe you aren't a fighter. Maybe you just don't care. But either way, there are people looking to you. To see how you'll react. To see what you'll do. To see if you belong.

What'll it be, hatchling? Fight or flight? Maybe you ought to start coming up with a plan.

FIELD WORK

There's a cadre of scientists cut off by acid rain. From their last transmission, they were driven into the Rat Warrens — and you've been tasked with rescuing them. Too many members of the Security Team are themselves injured, and none of the remaining ones have experience leading a fire team. Let's hope you do — or at least that you can fake it.

Maybe you've hand-picked your team. Maybe you're just stuck with whoever else was closest. Either way, your companions are some of the people you might recognize as fellow 'hatchlings'. If you know them already — good, you've got a head start on what they might be capable of out in the field, and you can chat about the little things. You know, like the weather. Acid rain, gotta love it.

Either way. You're given few small slabs of surprisingly lightweight alloy that has a sheet of — is that hide from the Leviathan? — stretched across them, to divide up amongst your team. "Helps with the rain," Ensign Porter says, trying to sound cheerful despite the grim set to his jaw. "Just come back in one piece. I kinda feel responsible for you guys, you know?"

Before you know it, you're outfitted for the trip. Weapons (if you didn't have your own) and maybe some medical supplies, handed over with a grimace by Doc Sunya.

So then it's just you, your tiny team and a fifteen kilometer hike. Oh, and the acid rain. Luckily, the shields seem to be keeping it off, but it's hard to hear anything over the impact of the drops. Anyone want to play I never?

Or maybe you think you should make a break for it. This is your first time being outside the Leviathan unsupervised. You've got supplies, and other people with as little to lose here as you do. Maybe you should talk.

THE RAT WARREN

You've made it to the last transmitted location of the scientists. What you find doesn't bode well — one of them seemed to have an arm torn off — at least, you think it's an arm — the way it's been disintegrated by the rain makes it hard to tell.

One thing's certain, though. There are bloodstains leading into the nearby maw of a hole in the ground. There's a putrid odor wafting from it, and the sound of frantic scrabbling.

You have an idea of what might be down there. 'Giant rats with tentacles', Porter had said. Don't let the tentacles grab you, they leave chemical burns that usually result in amputation if they can't be treated immediately. But there's a chance the scientists are still alive, and you need to make your choice.

If you and your small team venture down into the darkness, what happens next is up to you. You'll be encountering hoards of these monsters. The scientists are still alive, but will they stay that way? And more importantly, can you get them back to the Leviathan in one piece?

PCs versus the local fauna, round one, FIGHT!

A few notes:

☆ Feel free to put player characters 'in charge' of the planning/logistics phase. If another PC tags into your thread, you and that player can decide which PC will be 'leading the charge'.

☆ Your character will have: a mini-railgun, a spear (if they don't have their items/weapons from home), a first-aid kit, the acid rain shields, ration bars (that are essentially condensed protein bars — they do not taste good) and one of the smartwatches, which will have a mini holographic HUD displayable on its interface. If your character is the sort to request other things, feel free to assume they received them (within reason — please remember that resource scarcity is the name of the game — feel free to be creative here!).

☆ There are fifteen kilometers to cover. If your character has an ability like superspeed/etc, please keep in mind it will work, but you also have your allies to consider. Normal walking time over this distance, given the difficulty of the environment (steep hills, acid rain, unknown territory, etc) would translate to several hours to an average person.

☆ Feel free to use the NPC scientists however you'd like. If you want your character to find some dead, you can. If you'd prefer they be rescued, that is also acceptable. These are essentially 'your' NPCs that you are using to facilitate the story at this point — the sky is the metaphoric limit!

❀ BOOZE

A week. You've been here for a week.

By now, you might have tried to venture out of Basecamp Leviathan and experienced firsthand the acid rains that the security officers warned you about. Or you might be teaching the kids at the schoolyard how to gamble. In any event, Thorkil seems to take pity on his disoriented new friends and taps his distillery for a little help.

Invitation passes by word of mouth to meet at the memorial wall. Moonshine of questionable quality is passed around in tin cups — hope no one's afraid of germs — as Thorkil explains the great relief it is to be gaining people instead of losing them. This settlement isn't big, and they aren't overburdened with hope or supplies, but there's been a lot of loss in the past three years. Some people might be willing to look at the arrival of these newcomers as a sign that things are turning around.

Bottoms up, hatchlings, and ... Happy Birthday?

A few notes:

☆ Feel free to turn this into an impromptu party. Maybe you're celebrating getting all the scientists back alive! Maybe it's something like a wake to remember them in the sad event of their passing. Either way, many of the engineers and other NPCs may join you in this moonlight drinking session, as well as whatever PCs you tag out to or are tagged by.)

❀ OBLIGATORY NETWORK

Welcome people of all kinds to Basecamp Leviathan! I'd give you a hand moving in except...

I have no hands.
Because I'm an AI.
Get it?
It's a joke.

My name is Cartagena. But anyway, this isn't about me or the Adamant for once. This is about all of you. So if you would kindly fill out the following questionnaire to get to know each other; it would also be very helpful for my systems.

NOTE: Participation is MANDATORY.

That was another joke. It's all voluntary. You people and your free will.

1. What is your name?
2. Where are you from?
3. What's your favorite smell? Please describe it as you would to a person without a nose. Because I do not have a nose.
4. If you could be any animal in any world, what would you be?
5. How old are you?
6. Did you enjoy this questionnaire?

Thank you for your participation! Please enjoy the rest of your stay here at Basecamp Leviathan.

NAVIGATION ❀

Comments

Lance Sweets | Bones + crau

[lifetothefullest]

[Holding Cells]

[There are many reasons why this whole arrival process is an unpleasant experience.

It's difficult to say if it's better or worse than either Hadriel or New Amsterdam; they all have their bad and... Maybe not good, but at least less-bad points. This time is no different.

But it just happens to hit a particular combination of things that stress him out perhaps a little more than some other new arrivals, and so he's huddled into a corner on the floor at the back of the cell, arms crossed over his chest, trying to convince his nervous system to calm down with only limited success. Although he's not exactly hyperventilating or anything, it's probably easy to tell that a friendly distraction might help.

Alternatively, after he's had a little time to successfully handle everything--although 'handle everything' is actually more like 'compartmentalize it to deal with later'--he'll be approaching people who seem like they could use someone reassurance. He's tall but otherwise incredibly unintimidating, which is only amplified by the fact that his sneakers light up when he walks; he offers a small smile and asks--]

Hey, how are you doing? Besides, you know, the obvious.



[Field Work]

[On one hand, Lance is not even slightly impressed with being conscripted into playing rescue mission; the mission itself he has no problem with, but it's more the very obvious implication of everyone who recently found themselves being considered expendable. Thanks. He supposes that's nice to know early, at least.

But on the other hand, the mission gives him something to focus on, and it's something for a good cause; maybe there's still a chance to save the lost scientists, and that's worth doing despite the inherent danger. So although the obvious opportunity they all have at this moment to just bail crosses his mind briefly, he doesn't actually consider it any further than that. Instead he focuses on trying to get a sense of some of the others in the group, starting with a question.]

So, is this your first rescue mission on an alien planet? If not, any suggestions?



[Rats, Ugh]

[Wow, this looks so many kinds of bad he's not even sure where to begin.

Okay, nevermind, not true; he's starting with the horrifying hole in the ground, nose scrunched a little at both the smell of it and at the entire premise of venturing into it. Ugh. Why. This isn't the absolute worst-case scenario, but it's pretty high up there, especially since--]

I hope someone has a flashlight or something.

[Because if not that's going to be a major problem.]


[Wildcard]

[[ooc: Anything else~ Hit me up on plurk at amiasha to plot, or just throw whatever you think of at me!]]

rats, ugh

[sunmon]

No need.

[ a small orb of white-orange light forms in alina's hand — a marble, at first, but it grows to the size of a ripe grapefruit. she extends it out, and some of it filters down into the hole.

hm. not quite right. alina's brow furrows. ]

Hold on. I haven't tried it like this before.

[lifetothefullest]

[At this point he's seen quite a bit of magic so in itself this isn't too surprising, but it's still extremely cool. He watches in fascination as she creates the orb, though since he's not entirely sure what her goal is he can only go by her expression that she hasn't accomplished it, and asks curiously--]

What are you trying to do?

[sunmon]

[ her expression crinkles, vaguely amused. ]

Direct it. [ like it's obvious. ] You said you wanted a light. Unless you'd rather jump in blind.

[ she raises her other hand, and with a bit more focus, the orb moves, gliding down towards the hole and giving a better glimpse of what's inside.
which is, of course, not as informative as one might hope. no rats linger near the door, waiting for visitors. ]

[lifetothefullest]

[He raises his eyebrows a little at the tone, but isn't particularly bothered; he's much more interested in watching her move the orb, and in leaning carefully closer to get a better look.]

Maybe we can lure them.

[Would they run from the unknown light, or assume it's prey and come toward it? Could go either way at this point, but he's hesitating to jump in just yet in case it's the latter and they get a surprise.]

[sunmon]

Maybe if I ...

[ she moves her hands. the orb inside shrinks, dims a little. then the shadows on the hole's opening flicker as it moves around. it's no different than stray cats, right? admittedly, she's never tried this with them either, but if it's going to work, turning it into something shiny and moving is probably the best chance. ]

field work.

[janebond]

Don't get rained on, come back in one piece.

[ Come back at all. She holsters the Glock, but that's just habit. It's the only weapon of hers that came with her — Nikita switched out for the railguns. Useful little contraptions. Never say no to more firepower. ]

[ She flashes him a quick smirk. ]

Been a while since I went hiking. I think this will be fun.

[ this is the way to deal y/y ]

[lifetothefullest]

Simple.

[He responds lightly, like it really is just a hike; of course, he doesn't usually carry his own gun on a hike, but whatever. They can pretend, because that's definitely a way to deal.]

Acid rain aside, the hike itself will probably be fine, just...

[Whatever they're hiking to might not be.]

[janebond]

Worried about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

[ She punctuates with a smile. The kind that's meant to be a little reassuring, that it's all right everything around them is bugfuck insane, life has to go on, somehow. ]

Don't worry. I'm not about to leave you stranded out there.

[lifetothefullest]

Last time I saw a rainbow we had all just survived a tornado.

[Which... He's not actually sure what that says, in this context, but it sure doesn't feel encouraging. Still, his mood is lightening just a little as they banter.]

Great, thanks, and same here, for the record. My name's Lance, by the way.

[janebond]

Nikita.

[ She could be anyone else. Any name. The entire world was once an oyster, and if it hadn't opened for her she would have jammed a knife through the slit and forced it. Taken everything inside. ]

[ That world has also burned down. She's trying for new, and lasting, and though the interruption here isn't appreciated — Nikita's fought too long to keep herself to carve that out of her and offer it up, here. She'll be herself. ]

Human, from Earth?

[ Just a formality, but you never know. ]

holding cells

[cryptoherpetology]

[ The fact that Alex isn't the only prisoner here has been something that's been keeping him strangely calm about the arrival process. That and the scientific curiosity of dimensional travel via some sort of at least quasi-biological process.

The papers he could write if trying to get them published wouldn't get him committed. ]

Hey. From what a couple of the local kids tell me, they're in no position to object to any population boom, no matter how strangely it came about. And they're letting their kids talk to us. So either they don't see us as enough of a threat to keep us from interacting with them, or they just don't like their children terribly much."

[ As his fiancée had so wisely once told him, kids are kids and the rest is just details, and he's always been pretty good at talking to the school tour groups and the lost children who, no matter how upset they are to be lost in the reptile house, are never as panicked as their parents when he and the security staff reunite them. ]

[lifetothefullest]

[Lance glances up when he hears someone talking to him, focusing on processing the words and already thankful for the distraction. Of course, the words themselves aren't that reassuring--he'd love to believe in the benevolence of the people here and that they indeed value their children, but he's knows very well that's not a given--but he still chooses to try to be optimistic. Might as well, right?]

You just woke up in another world and you're already gossiping with the local kids?

[His voice is a little weak, but the comment is light and clearly joking, not a jab. It's interesting, and makes him curious to know a little more about this person.]

[cryptoherpetology]

Kids are brutally honest regardless of where they're from. If anyone was going to slip that they're going to harvest us for organs, it'll be their equivalent to middle-schoolers.

[ It's a joke. He hopes. ]

Focusing on the normal parts of this is helping. I give guided tours through a zoo reptile house several times a week to kids on field trips. Being housed in a reptile and looked at like an exhibit is still taking used to though, I have to admit.

[lifetothefullest]

Don't reptiles get heat lamps?

[It's also a joke, even if it's a bad one, and even if he actually wouldn't mind a heat lamp at the moment. Seems nice.

Speaking of things that seem nice, and continuing to provide a distraction--]

Working at a zoo sounds fun, though. It's been like... I don't even know how long since I've been to a zoo.

[cryptoherpetology]

[ Alex nods, both in answer tot he question, and in unspoken agreement that a heat lamp really would be nice right now. ]

As long as you're not bothered by getting dirty and have quick reflexes, it's a pretty great gig. [ Alex isn't even one of the zookeepers and has very little reason to ever be in the habitats, but he still keeps an extra set of clothes and wears very durable, hose-offable boots at work for a reason. ] What about you, what were you doing before waking up in an egg?

field work and then maybe mission who knows where the wind will blow us ok

[wittingly]

( So there Lance is, socializing, Lancing, making pleasant connections with strangers as people are wont to do. It's perfectly polite, and so the inevitable interruption is rude as all fuck. Normally he's a little more tactful about interjecting, but when you're on an alien planet and you've recognized exactly one other single familiar face it can sort of go out the window.

Well, technically speaking, he recognizes the voice.

From behind a throng of a dozen bodies, Lance can probably hear- )

Hey- Hey! Fuck, sorry, excuse me-

( Annnnd he's just gonna slide right in there in front of whomever it was Lance was befriending. Fuck you, guy.

There's a distinctly relieved breath in his token: )

Hey, man.

( And, yeah, he's going directly in for a hug. Were they huggers before? Not exactly. Does he consider Lance a hugger in general? No.

But you know what, dude?

This is hug o'clock. Never has there been a more appropriate time, in his opinion. It's probably a testament to his lack of experience that he doesn't think for even a second Lance won't remember him. )

yes good all they are is nerds in the wind

[lifetothefullest]

[Lance's attention is drawn more by the commotion than the voice; although familiar, he doesn't really have time to place just why that is before suddenly there's a face he recognizes, and not just recognizes but is so glad to see. he'd already mentally prepared himself for the idea of being alone, even if by that he means he'd just carefully made himself aware of the possibility and then immediately brushed aside dealing the emotional aspect of that.

So seeing Ian is a shock, but in a good way, and it only takes a brief moment of surprise before he returns the hug and gives a small sigh that's halfway to being a relieved laugh.]

Hey.

[It's obvious Ian knows who he is, and so he doesn't have to worry about the idea of not being remembered, which is in some ways even worse than being alone.]

Imagine meeting you here.

[In his third new dimension, and Ian's second, and how do these sorts of things even happen? But he's certainly not complaining.]

[wittingly]

( There is no No Homo Alpha Male back thumping in this one, just the bodily hug of a dude that really gives it 110%. He is a Good Hugger, mark that down on the short list of positive interpersonal traits he has going for him.

A second or two later, before things have time to get awkward, he peels back again. There's a parting squeeze to one of Lance's shoulders, and then he drops contact. )

Right?

( Enthusiastically, to the tone of you seeing this shit? )

I mean, what the fuck? Eggs.

[lifetothefullest]

[All the better; Lance rarely hugs anyone, with the occasional exception of Nate, and for all he usually keeps his distance from people he can also often use the contact and reassurance. The eternal struggle.

He offers a small smile when he Ian steps back, although that immediately turns into an exaggerated, dramatic eyeroll at the comment.]

That was so gross.

[And so unpleasant, but moving right along--]

How are you doing? With all this.

[It's a lot, even though Lance is more used to this sort of thing at this point, so he's a little concerned.]

[wittingly]

( Worse than the egg was the two days he spent in a holding cell full of unfamiliar faces with nothing to do but repeatedly consider the concept that he lost the whole 3 people he cared about in one fell swoop.

Of course, instead of saying that, he just bobs his head. )

Totally gross.

( For real though, three minutes was not long enough to get that shit out of his hair.

He breathes out a laugh that's made up of equal parts amusement and disbelief. )

How are you doing with all this? This is, like, your fifteenth hop or something. I mean-- assuming this is another place and not a sim or an Aerie or something. Nate seems pretty confident, but I choose to maintain my denial.

field work

[cicatrize]

[[ cdc crau ]]

[ while jack's not thrilled to be here, on this mission, braving the acid rain and whatever other extraterrestrial threats are about, it's a step up from the work he did for the CDC. for one - no genocide. the key defining feature that comes to mind when lance asks his question. ]

I wouldn't call my previous missions on alien planets a 'rescue'.

[ more like bearer of the apocalypse? herald of planetary destruction via bigass space laser? jack shifts his eyes to the man sharing the leviathan hide umbrella shield with him, quirking a brow before attempting that 'suggestions' thing. ]

Don't set the aliens on fire. They don't like that.

[lifetothefullest]

What a coincidence, I don't like being set on fire either.

[It's a dry comment, but clearly not a jab or anything, mostly just a remark on the absurdity of this situation. But the first part of what Jack said caught his attention, and so as they walk he has to ask--]

If you wouldn't call it a rescue, what would you call it?

field work

[baum]

[ John's cleaning his rifle when Sweets talks. He lifts his head to look at him. Someone else from the group; not someone he knows, but that applies to everyone here. He shrugs. ]

First alien planet in general. I'll worry about the sights when we've got those people back.

[ He goes back to what he was doing, but glances up at Sweets every so often. ]

You armed? Whatever we face out there, I don't think it comes in peace.

[lifetothefullest]

[Lance is a terrible judge of age, considering he looks younger than he is and was never really around people his own age to get a good sense of gauging that, but he's pretty sure John is actually young. Maybe a little too young to be carrying a rifle and about to go on a rescue mission, but unfortunately that sort of consideration only comes into play when you have the luxury of being choosy.

And it's not Lance's call anyway, so he doesn't comment, just nodding at the question.]

Yeah. I've heard they're rats with acid tentacles, which sounds... I guess not the worst it could be, but not great either.