❪ introlog: #2 ❫ THE CALM.

[natha]

OVERFLOW

You have spent the last few days on Thesa Station, taking in the knowledge that your world is no more. Perhaps you’ve made some friends (or maybe an enemy or two). Either way, you aren’t expected to spend all of your time on the Station. El Nysa needs you, after all, and you promised you’d help the planet thrive. Are you ready? Submit any AC eligible thread of participating in this log's prompts for Two (2) Olympia REP points HERE. TRAVEL LIGHT     You're really lucky, new refugee. Because of the efforts of those that came before you, your own descent into El Nysa will be quick and relatively painless. You get to reap the benefits of others' experience. Those that came before you are all well-versed in the art of teleportation now, and descending into El Nysa is simply a concentrated thought away. A teleporter has been placed in the common areas to help the new refugees descend, but for this first time, you're going to need a little guidance. You're going to need to take the hand of someone who has been on El Nysa for a while now and learn the ropes. Hold on tight, Refugee, and don't be afraid when the blinding light hits you. The actual journey will feel like a sudden whiplash— painless, but sudden, and maybe a little nauseating. Keeping your balance may be difficult, and it’s possible you might end up toppling onto your poor partner. Hopefully you’re at least thankful. You have landed in a back alley in the Residential District of Olympia. HOME SWEET HOME     Immediately, you notice that everything you've been told about El Nysa is true. There are people of all races here, and although no one bats an eye at your appearance as you enter the district, a member of the Royal Guard asks for your passport. They have a keen eye, and can tell that although you may be a new refugee to their city, they've never seen you before. Certain rumors of an outside force making preparations to do some major damage has them particularly on edge. It's a good thing the Orbiters made sure you have an Olympian passport ready to go. You present it, and with a small nod, the Guard says nothing more and slaps a patch on your chest; to your surprise, it reads: Hello! My name is ________________! I am in House #___! Are you my housemate? ... No matter how much you try, there's no removing this sticker. "It'll come off tomorrow," says the guardkeep. "Lots of refugees here, limited housing. It's an easy way to get to know the people you're living with. Though, if you ask me, why are we accepting so many foreigners when so many want to watch this city burn? Well, I don’t give the orders." If someone greets you, the message on the patch will magically change: Secretly, I _____, _____, and _____! What are yours? There's no telling how they'd known these things, but it likely has to do with Zasere. AGAIN. It may be a good idea to get situated in your new home and set down some ground rules with your roommates. There is also, of course, much of Olympia to explore. FLONA COVE     Word around the city is that one very cute and enthusiastic Olympian, You Watanabe, has been asking around earnestly for the nearest place to find some coastal fun. It didn't take long before a few locals pointed her in the direction of Flona Cove. Maybe it’s a good idea to check out the area. There are only a few more days left of summer, after all. Even if you're not the beach type, exploring a new area certainly can't hurt your understanding of El Nysa. Flona Cove is just a quick train ride away. BEACH PARTY: Chances are, you've heard about the beach party being organized by You Watanabe, whether it be from her directly or someone who knows her. A lot of careful planning has gone into it, and it looks like a great time, so why not check it out? Full speed ahead towards a great time! There's plenty of food for everyone, and plenty of watermelons that need splitting! 1. Various food vendors from around Flona Cove have agreed to offer free food for the new refugees, and they line the shoreline near the harbor, enthusiastically offering goodies such as seafood kabobs, ice cream, fresh fruit (including whole watermelons!), and hot dogs. You Watanabe herself has a grill where she’s cheerfully serving up her trademark "Niceoodles" yakisoba as well as other Japanese food like takoyaki and rice. What makes her noodles so nice? It’s obviously the cheerful smiley-face sun drawn on the omelette. In exchange, the chefs and vendors only ask that you spread the word, though most of them have buckets for donations if you want to help chip back in. After the party is all done, however, there seem to be plenty of dishes that need doing, all in a big pile. You herself is working on getting through the mountain of dishes, but maybe you could lend a hand? 2. It's just not a beach party without the traditional watermelon splitting! For those of you who don't come from modern Japan on Earth, it might be perplexing at first seeing the literal mountain of watermelons grown with the help of Keyleth, another recent Olympian. If the bat-like sticks and blindfolds next to them don’t explain the purpose, though, you might just sit back and watch as a brave competitor sets a watermelon on the sand, ties a blindfold around their eyes, and has people start yelling at them which way to go. They consider the shouts of the crowd, take a swing... and strike nothing but sand. Perhaps you can do better? There are beach activities galore. Now's the time to build the sandcastle of your dreams or play a game of beach volleyball. Maybe you're brave enough to surf the waves, or you’d just like to enjoy a swim. Mom friends who just want to lounge in the sun and read a book while working on their tan are welcome too, of course. BENEATH THE SURFACE: 1. Diving beneath the waters in Flona Cove yield a whole new world on its own. Rent a scuba suit and take a trip to explore the corals, and you may even be lucky enough to run into a playful school of dolphins. Be careful-- they tend to get carried away and will happily drag swimmers for a wild ride. 2. You might want a boat for this scuba adventure, unless you're a strong swimmer. Venture deeper into the ocean, farther away from the coast, and adventurers will find some interesting stuff. Two miles southwest of the harbor, deep, deep into the watery abyss, lies a shipwreck. Exploring through the various rooms of the ship yields a few knick-knacks here and there-- rusted spare parts, cracked tea sets... a surprisingly well-preserved pin-up painting of Koralle? The real treasure awaits for those who have the courage to swim beneath the ship's hull. Here, covered in algae and debris, lies the skeletal corpse of a winged, fanged, clawed beast. This is only a distant memory of its former glory, as nothing but bones are left, but something— something brilliant, catches your eye. Those hundreds of teeth are not bone, but a material so lustrous and pure, it nearly blinds. It will take some work, but with persistence and strength, it is possible to extract a tooth. Those that work in Simwe Institute or The Sanctuary may find it beneficial to take an extra for their boss— this is definitely something that is of interest to study. 3. Olympians love their luxury. There's nothing more luxurious than a secluded lagoon, the water at just the perfect temperature and pristine. This is one of the most sought-after spots for the natives, but when you come across it, it is completely peaceful and empty. For the tourists? Well, this place simply gets overlooked due to its distance from the main beaches. It's also relatively hidden. Soon you start feeling oddly friendly? Cupid’s Pool is also described by the people of Olympia as the touchy-feely pool. It has an inherent property that makes those who soak in it crave physical affection. Chances are you probably wanted to know this before you decided to take a dip, huh? (Please warn for threads appropriately) EARN SOME SILVER     1. While many of the locals came together to offer their hands to provide a bit of entertainment for the surge in tourism, that isn’t to state that they’re fully staffed. Have a few hours to spare? They're willing to pay for your help. Maybe you’re just the cooking champ they needed? The lifeguard who showed up just in time? Or the star salesman at their humble accessory shop so desired? 2. The man who approaches you is even offering more than most of the vendors down the street. Sure, the guy and his entourage look kind of shady, but money is money, isn't it? If you accept, he’ll shove a strange swimsuit or two your way and lead you to the dressing room. What kind of job is this? Modeling, he says. Hopefully you aren’t camera shy! Hey there, hot stuff. I like your look. Or maybe it's your... aura? Either way, I like what you're working with. How about you flaunt what you've got for some fat silver stacks? He also wants to be able to test your charm, and is willing to pay a whopping 400 silver in exchange. He may even ask you to go "talk" (did you hear him say "hit on"?) to a couple of people, and “sell” yourself. Whatever that means... Incidentally, he says he’ll give you a signal once you get a pass. Feels like forever, doesn’t it? 3. Once night begins to fall and the people gradually begin to clear out, you’ll notice something... odd. There are some shady looking people around, and maybe you’ve been hearing whispers all day about a certain "fight club." Initially, no one will tell you a time or location, but if you are persistent, your efforts will pay off. Perhaps in light of helping a vendor clear out their stall or assisting that one Olympian native in distress, they’re willing to tell you a few things about this exclusive club. They explain to you that it’s been a long-standing tradition of Olympia. Secret fight clubs. A place for people to stretch their wings and their fists. Moreover, the pay off seems to be pretty good! Though, they warn you that there are some aggressive competitors out there this time around. Things have been tough politically for a while now, and there is much unrest among the people. What better way to blow off some steam than to beat someone up and make a bit of bank! Fights are not to the death, simply until a knock out, but accidents (and "accidents") do happen. Finding the crowd of people will take some searching, even with directions. They meet along the northern coast of Flona, by following a path leading underground, well away from any civilization. Once you’re there, why not participate? You may find yourself facing off against a fellow refugee. OOC     An AC-eligible thread for 2 OLYMPIAN REP POINTS may be submitted from this log. SUBMIT THE THREAD HERE by OCTOBER 15 11:59 PM EST. In the event of CAPTCHA, we will be providing an overflow. In the event of a second CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP. 1 SILVER = 1 US DOLLAR. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

hello, my name is____

[buildindreemz]

[ The nametag thing doesn't bother Ariadne all that much - it actually seems like a pretty good idea for the newcomers, given how many of them there are, to at least be able to see each other's names. And maybe find their roommates, too. Like the first day of college, or something. Move-in day is always nuts.

And then, the first time she says hello to someone, her tag changes, and there's suddenly a lot more information than she wanted anyone to have about her, flashing for everyone to see. Secretly, I designed dream mazes, broke into a man's mind, and helped plant an idea there! What are yours? Jesus Christ, she did not sign up for this. ]

I have no idea, but I hope they have someplace better than Starbucks.

[11calls]

[ alex is a reporter. it's in her blood even when she would be better served by removing that particular hat. however, she's found herself remembering everyone's thing on their name badges for questions later because she knows that her own is true so maybe other people's are too. though she's met with people who have known demons and the like, one of the more interesting ideas was that you could break into someone's mind and plant ideas there. there was some basis for it in her life with what simon had said but somehow the wording told her it was in a different way that indoctrinating a kid with an idea.

but for now, she just smiles, and then offers a little chuckle. ]

I hope so, I'm from Seattle so...

[ all the hipster coffee. all of it. ]

[buildindreemz]

[ Honestly, for the moment, ignoring the name tags seems the best way to go. Ariadne is all for it. ]

Never been to Seattle myself. But I was living in Paris, so I can kinda relate.

[ Paris has some pretty good coffee shops. Or it... did. ]

[11calls]

Oh, lucky. I'd been trying to get my friend Nic to send me to Paris for ages, but he never bought it. It probably didn't help that it wasn't really connected with my story. [Especially considering he wouldn't send her to Bath or to Russia or even to Portland, Maine. To be fair, she did do a good amount of traveling for cases with Strand in the Pacific Northwest, but those places weren't Paris.

And of course now there wasn't Paris, but Alex wasn't going to think about that.]

What were you doing in Paris?

[buildindreemz]

[ Story? Ohhhh, dear. Ariadne self-consciously brings her hand up to cover the tag with her secrets printed right there in black-and-white on it. Then drops her hand, because that just draws more attention to the damn thing, trying to hide it. ]

Architecture school.

[11calls]

[When Ariadne covers her nametag, Alex just shakes her head and holds her hands out in the classic 'don't shoot' method. And then she shrugs before she speaks quietly.]

Don't worry, I'm was on a specific story at home but being as... [you know, home is destroyed along with all of Strand's black tapes and everything that (probably) went along with them.] Well. I'm not a working reporter right now. Just someone new here who really, really needs some coffee. God, I hope they have coffee.

[buildindreemz]

I - yeah, I figured, I just - I mean, it's not a lie. I was studying for my M.Arch. [ The nametag is accurate, but she's not, like, a fake student or something. ]

Alex, wasn't it? I'm Ariadne. Let's - find some coffee. What sort of story were you working on?

[11calls]

Yep. Alex Reagan from Pacific Northwest Stories. And honestly, the story sounds crazy if you kind of don't listen to it from the beginning.

[Alex, crazy is probably a nice way of referring to that, really. Because it actually sounds really crazy. Especially if you add in the fact that she may or may not believe in the demons she's investigating and that the podcast may or may not have caused the end of the world based on something that a cult of crazy monks sort of set her up to do.]

It's a podcast. [ She's assuming that Ariadne knows what it is. ]

[buildindreemz]

Oh, yeah, I listen to one or two of those, once in a while. NPR feeds from the States.

[ She has to smile a little. ]

To be fair, I've seen and done some crazy things, too.

[ Like, designing dreams and incepting people. ]

[11calls]

Yeah, that's what PNWS is, a subsidiary of NPR in Seattle. I've worked there for three years and produced some of their better known stories, but then I had this idea for a podcast on interesting people. I started by covering paranormal investigators and then a bunch of them told me about this man who is a paranormal investigator who is a skeptic and who's made it his life's work to disprove the paranormal. Unfortunately, it just wasn't that simple.

[Ladies and gentlemen, Alex Reagan, the mistress of understatement. Of course in the beginning that was what the story was supposed to be before the demons and all sorts of other stuff became involved.... or uncovered really. Uncovered was a much better word.]

[buildindreemz]

Wow, so like, ghosts and stuff, huh? Or maybe alien abductions?

[ That's cool. Ariadne, naturally curious, is definitely interested in this. ]

[11calls]

Some ghostly stuff. Strand... he's [ an asshole, a jerk, the stoic, but also:] my friend and he also runs this insitute back home. He's got a million dollar prize... [ maybe ] if someone can prove the supernatural. So because of it he gets a lot of cases that he can't solve yet because the science isn't up to it yet. Unfortunately, a lot of those cases tend to be around demons.

[ a beat. ]

I hate demons. [And then she laughs.] I promise I'm not insane. Really. It's just... a sort of thing right now.

What about you?

[buildindreemz]

Demons. Sounds pretty freaky. I don't really go in for that stuff much. I like not having nightmares.

[ She'd rather have control of her own dreams.

But she hesitates a moment, even though, really - what is she gonna do? Have Ariadne arrested for a crime no one can prove, that she committed on a world that no longer exists? ]

You know, usual stuff. One of my academic advisers introduced me to his son-in-law, and before I knew it, I was working with a bunch of - of mind criminals.

[11calls]

It is. Hence all the coffee.

[Yeah, she's only been having nightmares for eight months at this point, and they've gotten really bad in the past six and she never sleeps. But she's fine. Yep. She's sure F.I.N.E. But the report listener instinct comes out, and Alex focuses on Ariadne.

And oddly enough, she believes her, and because of more than just what had been said on the namebadge earlier.]

Mind Criminals? That sounds... Intense.

[buildindreemz]

[ It's a little tough to find a place like that here, though - a coffee shop, that is, not without any of the familiar signage she's used to. Huff. ]

Yeah, pretty much. Oh, I mean, the criminals themselves were all right, it's not like they were hanging around waving guns at people. Not in the real world.

But the dreaming - God, the dreaming.

[11calls]

So you all ended up in dreams together? That's really cool.

[Alex was putting together two and two and getting four with the mention of guns and dreaming. And she was thinking about other things.]

That technology must be amazing. Or... [a beat] Magic, I guess, considering everything we've been exposed to in the last couple of days.

[buildindreemz]

Not magic. Drugs and tech.

[ She shrugs. ]

It's - I don't know. I mean, it's like dreaming always is - hard to describe in a way that means something to anyone who didn't experience it. You can do incredible things.

[11calls]

[Continued over here]