Celestia's new home was a grand residence indeed: the citadel of Camelot, a place which featured heavily in the myths and legends of Earth. Not that Celestia was familiar with these myths, of course.

Guests were free to wonder around the castle at will, but Celestia had decided that today, the courtyard would be a lovely place for everypony to get together. There were a few tables set up, with the treats Hoshi and Applejack had so generously made, and Rarity's beautiful decorations. And later, Celestia planned to invite her guests to ride on the Ferris wheel that happened to be located just outside the castle.

The crewmembers had suffered a great loss recently, but she hoped that this would bring them some small amount of joy, and the comfort of friendship in this time.

[[ooc: Sorry this is a day late guys, uni ended up being much more hectic yesterday than I expected. Anyways, I've put up a subthread for Celestia greeting visitors and rides on the London Eye. Those that ICly helped out this party can also set up sub-threads for the food tables/games/whatever as well, if you guys want to. (Edit: The sub-thread for Hoshi & Applejack's nibbles is up here!)

But other than that, feel free to start your own threads and tag each other. People can also wonder around and explore the castle - it's the BBC Merlin version of Camelot, but only the citadel itself (as opposed to the whole city).]]

||Attention, Attention. The following crew members must report to the Observation Deck...||

Stacy began to name off sixteen members of the crew, repeating the message until everyone had arrived. When they did, they would find the following information being displayed.

Planet Designation: Unknown. No records of a system existing at this location can be found. All information is based on preliminary scans.
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Extensive flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Unknown.
Sentient Life: Obsidian medial castles and crystal cities scattered all around, but no signs of humanoid life detected.
Water: 80.8% of the planet's surface.
Climate: Similar to Earth's Tropical zones [Click here for cultural equivalents for non-Earth cultures.]
Landscape: What little remains of area is deep thick tropical forest with forests and abandoned towns.
Air: Non-toxic. Elevated levels of oxygen.
Air Pressure: 101.3 kPa (kilopascals) = 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch)
Sky: Blue.
Sun: A class G V, yellow dwarf star.
Warnings: No records of this planet exist. Suggest taking extreme caution while planet-side, as dangers that have not shown up on preliminary scans could exist. Please bring appropriate tools and weapons.
Mission: Scout planet's surface and locate the twin signals.

Being sent off into the unknown was part of the risks that being on the ship had brought them. Thankfully they were getting a chance to stock up before heading out.

But just what was waiting out there?

[[Just so you all know, this is bendy time for around the 12th on the meatship, so those who were hurt during the battle should be much, much better. This is also the only post that will be open to both groups before they split off, and anyone who wishes to see them off can do so. In fact, it's encouraged!]]

The battle is over.

There is happiness and weariness and sadness. Their banners of victory are flown, and the Ohm retreat.

Homura cares little for all of those things; before they even return to the ship, her thoughts are with Madoka. And after throwing off the others, she strides through the many paths of the ship. Searching and searching. But Madoka cannot be found. The ship is huge, so she can't possibly search every nook and cranny. So she takes a brief look through everything but the city; and when Madoka is not found, she carefully combs through it again. And again.

And eventually, she finds her way back to the Obs Deck. She sits on a couch and breathes, trying to keep her composure.

Where could she be?

[ Closed to Sayaka and Mami! Bendytimed to just after they get back from Lirath. ]

Several significant data reports were still trickling in, and already Billy's overworked mind knew one thing: this workload was going to be one of his least favorites. Overwhelming, exhausting, sometimes confusing, and with the pressure of time attached as well. Stacy could simply not be relied upon to give the crew a break, and thus they needed to be prepared for a battle like that again. As soon as possible. But how soon was that? Today's meeting's purpose was to make it as soon as possible.

On the board against one wall of the lab, he threw up a starting list of repairs that needed to be made. All the significant weapons and armor that had been turned in, important communications equipment, crew items requiring immediate attention for that person's full functionality, the most often used generic vehicles, and the specialty/personally owned vehicles. That group would be the easiest to select, he hoped.

How easy or difficult this would be would not be fully known until he saw a spread of who was assisting, and how many. Could they complete everything fast enough for the crew's satisfaction? That would be the main worry from here on out.

Billy was almost relieved when they started trickling in. As he waved, not quite as energetically as usual, they might notice one or two signs of the battle. His movements didn't look quite as easy as before, some trace of pain still behind them, and a long bandage now tied around his forehead. Some would look better, some would look worse. He sincerely wished to see more of the former than the latter.

They needed all the healthy help they could get.

[This is for Team 2: Jinx, Mindfuck, Zouichi, Ter'thelas, Ashley, Edward, Jamie, Victoria. The first shore leave / observation deck post is here where they can say goodbye to others.] ]

The massive crystal spire jutted skyward perhaps a thousand feet. Alone, it would be beautiful.

With lasers playing up and down its sides, floodlights sweeping the sky, and banners hanging over it, though, it was just tacky. ULTIMATE ENTERTAINMENT! proclaimed one banner. D☺☺M AWAITS YOU! another added. And over top of the massive doors chipped in the entrance hall flashed a brilliant neon sign: CRYSTAL CITY.

The path led up to and through the wide-open doors, into a black hall beyond. No sooner had the last of the crew stepped in than the doors slammed shut behind them, plunging them all into pitch blackness. But not for long; a second later, two bright-white signs flared into life.

MEN -->

<-- WOM N

(A bulb was out.)

Each arrow pointed to a door surrounded by an ominous crystal. Try to go through the wrong gender's door and it would reject you, possibly making disparaging comments about your mental status. The rooms inside looked as if they'd been lifted straight from an athletic stadium; a row of lockers stood opposite a few lacquered benches, and each had a crewmember's name on it. Inside their assigned locker were a set of clothing along with instructions to retract their plantsuits to minimal coverage and don the provided garb.

The fanservicey-but-functional provided garb. Tight-fitting shirts that breathed magnificently, sleek shorts (rather short shorts) for both men and women. None of it interfered with motion in the slightest, and the outfits were only slightly uncomfortable, mostly because they were just a bit tight.

Once everyone had garbed themselves properly -- and not before -- the doors on the far wall snapped open. Through them, the members rejoined their companions in a large room (which of course made no physical sense, as the doors could not possibly have led to this room, but who's counting?), in a grand crystalline foyer filled with sweeping spotlights, glittering sparks deep in the walls, and extremely canned applause.

A drumroll began over the applause. A hush fell over the prerecorded crowd, the drumroll building in strength and then declining again, like a wave, to build suspense.

The drumroll abruptly stopped.

"TURN TAPE OVER!" blared over the invisible audio system. After a moment, fumbled clattering and muffled grumbling echoed distantly from some far point in the chamber, followed by a sharp CLACK, then a click. The drumroll resumed.

Then, in a crash of cymbals and a triumphant fanfare, the spotlights all swung as one to focus on a hitherto unseen throne at the far end of the room.