❪ event ❫ THE DESCENT: PART TWO.

[natha]

JULY 16th: THE MORNING AFTER     In the early morning, your characters' phones will buzz with a text from an Unknown ID. It contains an audio file as well as its transcription: DARMA'S MESSAGE It worked. By the miracles of all universes, you survived. It was not ideal by any means, but it was all we can muster with limited time. We hope you can forgive us for your injuries and headaches, and we thank you for working together and helping one another. But now, your journey is just beginning. You must head east to find the Outpost. That shall serve as a fine rest stop. However, there will be danger ahead yet. The beasts you encountered in the simulations are now very real. They will attack, as you are seen as meat. Please exercise caution, Refugee. This shall be my last message for some time. The Moons are protected, but I must rest... I leave the rest to you. INTO THE WOODS     Head east, Darma said— and so you do. That seems to be all you can do. Traversing through woods is not a simple task. Hopefully you have taken advantage of the camouflage outfits offered prior to the start of this great migration. Naturally, for those of you who have done the training modules, some things will be a bit familiar. Some wildlife will mimic what you've seen there. Nevertheless, it'll be crucial for one to keep on guard. While Sael selected the Outlook as the ideal place for landing due to its direct removal from Olympian or Wyver soil, it doesn't come without its own dangers as you venture east. Perhaps it's time to face your fears. PROMPT A. There are many creatures roaming around these parts. Some will blend straight in with the woods, others will be bold and loud. While traveling as a party of about 180, it's quite easy to become targets. Fortunately, that also means strength in numbers. Maybe you've got someone's back on this, perhaps they have yours. Either way, what's quicker way to bond than to face a couple of questionable beasts? Maybe you've ran into a Arache (CW link: arachnophobia), a creature known for mimicking voices, even ones they haven't heard. They weasel their way into your subconscious and pick out voices from your memories, luring their victims deeper into the strange woods with the voices of their loved ones. Sometimes, it's a cry for help; other times, it's a replay of a striking memory. Once its victim steps into its large, barely-visible web, the Arache will store them or start its feast. Or, perhaps, you may encounter a Ditz Moth, as large as a rabbit who are relatively easy to kill, but they leave an awful scent on you the moment they flee or die. Be sure to mask this scent immediately, whether by covering yourself in fresh flowers or soaking in river water for an hour, because it's been known to cause extreme confusion. You'll end up dizzy, you'll confuse your friends for enemies, or enemies as loved ones. Or, you run into something else entirely! The forest is the home for many creatures from many worlds; who knows what you may encounter? PROMPT B. You've been traveling for a fair distance. While this is by no means a desert, the sun begins to settle, leaving an unprecedented heat. Perhaps it's the contrast against the night, but you find it almost unbearable. Lucky for you, the goddess of fortune is smiling upon you. At a distance is a clean lake. One full of lush scenery, and large trees canopying the immediate area. There is lots of shade, and maybe this is just the break you need. Or alternatively, the rations were sparse last night. It barely covered a meal each. Fortunately, this area seems full of wildlife one can hunt. Perhaps, that three-headed rabbit in the distance? Maybe that frog that smells a bit like lavender and vanilla? Additionally, for those who find themselves more inclined to leaving it up to fate— ENTER: OLYMPIA'S WEST OUTPOST     After a full day of travelling, you finally make it to the West Outpost as Darma instructed. You can tell by the way the trail gets neater, flatter. There are some small shops all along the sides of the road, offering trinkets, precious stones, and food. Unfortunately, you don't seem to have the money to purchase anything. The only thing you can do is watch wearily as you approach the West Outpost Gate. Near the gate, you're expected to form a line. The guardsmen seem to be inspecting every person entering. When it's finally your turn, the guardsman seem to know exactly what group you are. He immediately calls you Refugees, then proceeds to open a folder specifically labeled Refugee Group D. You might assume the "D" stands for Darma. He seems to be happy to see your arrival — Anyway, we've been expecting you. You're in luck! You refugees arrived the day after Thesa's blessing, y'know? That meteor shower was a sight to behold! What's your name? Oh, there you are— here, take take this. It's your passport. Gonna need that to get to Olympia. Your sponsors paid for your inns for tonight, so get yourself a room. You're at the last leg before the Capital. Keep your head up, all right? It seems now you are an official Olympian citizen with this passport. As you walk around, there will be an old man about. He sees you holding your bags and passports and approaches you. He has seen the fiasco in the skies from the day before. Naturally, he believes it to be a divine sign, and you the product of that. Which translates to free food. It must be relieving to eat (relatively) normal food after so long. There's also a very special visitor at the Outpost today: a woman by the name of Lysa, who happens to be a renowned healer in Olympia. Following the strange meteor shower, she’s come out of the city and into the outskirts to see it all for herself, this divine phenomenon brought upon by Thesa. While she has no explanation for the sudden occurrence, she stays, because she can sense that her services are needed. Healthy characters will taken by the hand and brought to a wounded fellow refugee. Lysa will then urge them to stay by that refugee’s side, to care for them. Please, do not go. I need a little of your compassion and patience. PROMPT A. If the wounded party has lethal injuries, Lysa will give the healthy character a vial of Screaming Draught to feed to them. It's a strong healing potion known for its ability to regenerate cells. It can close up almost any sort of wound, no matter how large, and can even regenerate limbs. However, its ability comes at a costly price. Seconds after taken, the wounded character will experience an excruciating, constant pain as the healing takes place. Some who have taken the potion may even start to become delirious, seeing hallucinations. If asked about this effect, Lysa looks solemn, remarking that her clinic is too far away and she does not have anything gentler on the body on hand. She urges your character to help the suffering one through this, giving them their comfort and any kind of support. PROMPT B. If the wounded party has smaller injuries, Lysa will give your character a vial of some basic Proliferation Elixir, a weaker healing potion with less devastating side effects. It can heal cuts, bruises and minor fractures. Characters who take it will experience side effects such as dizziness, nausea and a persistent chill. They are still in need of attention, and Lysa will urge the healthy characters to tend to them. Warm them up. Feed them something nice. Keep them from wandering around when they should be resting. Show any kind of care and you'll make Lysa a happy woman. Characters who answer Lysa's pleas will be given a small vial of Proliferation Elixir as a token of gratitude. It's good for one-time use. NIGHTFALL AT THE WEST OUTPOST     As dusk approaches, bustling Outpost quiets down as the flea shops pack up their things to go home. But it seems this outpost is not one that simply sleeps at night. Thesa is high on the skies when the Outpost square lights up. There's music, dancing, and laughter. They seem to encourage you to join them as well. "This celebration is for you! Come, join us!" Perhaps their enthusiasm is infectious enough for you to succumb to it; perhaps you don't understand at all why they're this happy after the hell you went through to get here. It's not like you can tell them what the "meteor shower" actually had been. At least they offer free alcoholic drinks and a great feast similar to those you remember from home. You may find that the drinks are far stronger than any alcohol you've ever had, but it taste like a typical cocktail, or whiskey/scotch/vodka/your flavor drink. Nothing particularly special until you make your way back to the inn. Let's hope you won't walk into the wrong room. FINAL OOC NOTE     This is PART TWO of our three-part intro event. PART THREE will be up on JULY 22ND, at 6 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. The NETWORK is still down. Characters may still message each other's personal IC inboxes. REMEMBER TO USE COMMUNITY TAGS. RECOMMENDED LISTENING: Nocturn OOC PLOTTING may be continued here. PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE (coming soon) QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

he must get a hug by the end of the thread

[valcurie]

( Oh my god aren't giggles supposed to be cute? That wasn't a giggle, was it? She is definitely Frowning right now but is so concerned, it's hard for her to not squeeze his shoulders. And maybe she wants to hold him close and fly him to a safe spot for him to roll around in the grass and flowers until sober.

But. For now. ) Well, lice are also free, and you usually don't want any of those. ...But you know there's free food too, so why don't we get you some of that? How about some fresh spongey bread?

it would make his evening no one ever wants to give this loser a hug

[rhygret]

[ He does giggle though, it's a thing. And unlike Mercy he doesn't look at all bothered by the current state of things, blissfully buzzed and rather enjoying it at the moment. It's been a long time since he's been able to unwind on someone else's dollar and he intends to take full advantage of it. ]

Food...sounds like an excellent idea. [ This would be him, trying to look Suave and Charming as he holds up his cybernetic arm for her at the elbow, like he's somehow going to escort her in this state instead of the other way around.

It might even be impressive if a) he wasn't sloshed and b) his cybernetic hand didn't tweak out a little and twitch erratically for a moment there, a result of damage from the crash. ]

Did you know it's all free? They're just. Giving it awayyy! [ Rhys apparently forgets he's trying to offer to escort her here two seconds after doing it, because now he's throwing his arms open wide with a little bit of a wobble. ]

Aha-heh. [ That was definitely a little snicker to himself. ] So weird.

[valcurie]

( The only problem with that abandon is, right now really isn't the time to unwind, but how can you argue with his foolproof logic of people only wanting to settle in safety? It seems a stretch to think that these people here would not mean them well, but Mercy is suspicious, and so she has her guard up. She's not unwilling to help the people here, she just means to do it smartly.

Because it is strange that they are being so generous. So far there has yet to be a satisfactory explanation.

And food was a good idea, until she sees that obvious signs of damage. Already his arm was offered so she takes it, taking his hand in hers if he'll let her, so she can examine the damage. This isn't her forte but she does have a lot of experience with prosthetics and cybernetics. They are limbs to be looked after just like any other. ) Oh, Rhys, make sure you're careful. Don't let this get any worse until you've had a chance to get it looked at.

( She'd let go after the wobble, of course, and she frowns because she agrees. ) Yes, it is very odd. I appreciate kindness, but I would like to know what kindness they think we've done for them. You wouldn't happen to have any rations left over from the ship, would you? ( A hand on his shoulder to help his wobble. And not that he strikes her as a hoarder, but she could see why he might have thought to stockpile before. She has a habit or two herself learnt from growing up during a war. )

[rhygret]

[ Focusing on two different topics of conversation is a little bit more than Rhys can handle at the moment, so for simplicity's sake he just sticks to the last thing she says because it's easiest.

It does mean thinking back to try and recall if he brought anything with him or if he ate it all after seeing the festival was going to solve the food problem for the foreseeable future.

...Yeah no, he's pretty sure that's exactly what he did, and Rhys lets out a goofy sort of laugh. ]

What?? No, ew. There's waaay better food for us now. Did you know they have oysters? Just like those little tiny ones, the cocktail things from Aquator. [ Rhys grins and pinches two fingers together to indicate their general size, squinting one eye as he does so for added effect. ]

They're amazing, we should try some. More. I have had way too much of those already.

[ Rhys tugs on his arm a little since she's holding it, like this will somehow convince her to come along. ]

[valcurie]

( Which is kind of what she expects, to be completely honest. She's used to being brushed off so she'll just have to watch over him for a bit to make sure he stays out of trouble. He's not her patient, strictly speaking, but he's going to get treated like one: like a personal concern of hers.

She has no idea what Aquator is, of course. But she does know what an oyster is, and she understands the gist of what he's saying. )

Well, if you've already had some, how about we find you something a bit more satisfying? Delicacy seafood might not be the best thing for your stomach.

( She'll try and convince him, and how hard can it be, when he's so hammered? All she has to do is happen upon the right impulse to change his mind. And, feeling the tug, she's quick to put on a show of eagerly following, for she really does want to stay by his side, as she take a few steps in the general direction in which he's moving. )

I bet they have some nice sandwiches, or some yummy stew.

[rhygret]

[ She's not wrong. Rhys's focus is shoddy at best with all the alcohol coursing through his system and all it takes is the idea of eating a sandwich, some of those really good meaty ones, where the bread is garlic toast, for Rhys to decide that this is exactly what he wants to do right now. ]

Oh man, do you know how long it's been since I've eaten one of those?

[ Without Rakk or Skag meat??? Rhys makes that "god that would be so good right now" noise people make when they haven't eaten something in a long time. ]

[valcurie]

Longer than you've gone without a haircut?

( Which admittedly isn't that long, she thinks, if you don't count the whole cyrostasis bit. It seems like something he puts a lot of time and maintenance into.

She smiles, though, with a slight wince, as he makes another funny and vaguely concerning noise. If he's that hungry, she needs to get him to food now!!! When they arrive at some of the feast tables, she'll let go of his arm and start looking for some. ) I wonder if they have any honey and butter.

[rhygret]

Way longer.

[ Rhys is vain and takes care to look after his appearance. He's not ashamed to admit that, especially while drunk. He probably wouldn't be even if he were sober, actually. Looking the part of a success was nearly as important as having it back on Helios.

A good haircut could say a lot about someone in the right circle. ]

I don't know if you need the honey though--you're plenty sweet already.

[ Ironically, that is not him coming onto her. That's him trying to pay her a compliment via really bad dadjoke. ]

[valcurie]

Ah! you couldn't have fooled me with that style.

( Hey, it looks nice on him! And his hair certainly seems more cared for than hers as of late. And speaking of compliments, she's just kind of proving him right, right?

She's actually able to take it for what it is because she's been around a lot of dads. Also, she's kind of a dad joke herself. Sometimes. She gives him a sweet smile, and then goes back to looking. No proper sandwiches yet, but she does find some open-faced ones. She puts one on a plate and starts to look for some eating utensils. )

Oh, you're too kind. I will have to make sure to keep you away from any beefcakes, or we might all be in trouble. ( She hands him the open-faced sandwich but no knife or fork yet. )

i dont believe you

[rhygret]

[ That's okay. Rhys is drunk enough not to worry much about proper fancy-sandwich-eating manners and just pinches either end of the bread to fold it over on itself. Sandwich success!

Luckily he remembers to talk before he takes a bite and doesn't wind up treating Mercy to seafood after all. ]

What, s'there something wrong with those?

[ If it's a joke it flies right over his head because now he's thinking about how long it's been since he had actual cow. ]

i shed a manful tear, because one day i will convince you

[valcurie]

( To be fair, it's probably better not to give him anything sharp or pointy, so she ends up with a fork that she doesn't hand over. It's her fork now!! What since she touched it, it doesn't seem sanitary to put it back so she just puts it in her pocket {for later?}.

It is nice of him to remember his manners, if anything. )

Well, they are very punny, don't you think? Not to mention not the healthiest of things to eat. Beef isn't the best source of protein even when it's lean.

( Doctor again. )

[rhygret]

[ Oh, you. Rhys smiles around his sandwich and scoffs a little at the joke, but he waits until he's finished his current mouthful before he answers. ]

Yeah but...man. It's been years since I've had a good steak. You think they have steak here? I could so go for that right now.

[valcurie]

( She smiles, touched that he's so considerate still. His words get her to think for a moment, in which she touches her finger to her chin and looks over his shoulder, in the direction of the wilderness that surrounds them on all sides. )

Would any kind of steak do?

[rhygret]

...? Yeah, I guess. You think these guys don't have cows? They look the the sort of people that would.

[ HICKS. He means they look a little bit like hicks. ]

[valcurie]

( That earns him a few curious tilts of her head. Several images come to mind of people who might own cows, cultural cornerstones with which she's familiar and Rhy's should't be. There's the Swiss dairy, Hindus in India, cowboys from the wild west, and the bone-thin cows crowding villages south the equator. These are all mostly bucolic scenes when she thinks about it. )

Hmm.

( A moment to spare to think, she looks around quickly for any signs of Swiss chocolate. Just thinking about it has reminded her of her cravings. It would have made a perfect ration. )

Honestly, if they did have cows, I think they'd have a better selection of cheeses.

[rhygret]

Oh... Huh.

[ That makes a lot of sense actually. Unfortunately his next immediate thought is: ]

And more ice cream. I tried to order some on the ship you know. [ he says, as if it's some sort of Big Deal. ] Asked for pistachio and got oranges and thoothpaste.

...Toothpaste.

[valcurie]

( That does get something of a reaction out of her, a quick laugh and a hand over her mouth as if to cover it. While it's not funny to see someone so inebriated they start to become helpless, to the point where they cannot speak properly, there is something nice about his story. )

A bit of sweet irony, isn't it? Maybe they just wanted to make sure you take care of your teeth!

( Smiling still, and a bit of a hypocrite, she continues her search for chocolate now. ) Do you even like pistachio? I think that's a rather niche flavour.

[rhygret]

Pistachio is a very under-appreciated flavour of the ice cream family I'll have you know.

[ He says this as if he's discussing something actually important, and it's hard to tell if it's because he's drunk or if he really loves ice cream that much.

Probably both. ]

[valcurie]

( Well, that's certainly interesting how seriously he takes this. She shrugs, but then turns to face him. They're having this discussion. Apparently. )

Oh, I do know. It's one of those flavours like lavender, rose water, rosemary, pomegranate--things that are interesting, but not really that popular. Either because it isn't sweet enough, or it's too exotic for the average person's taste. I would prefer it if people ate more interesting desserts like pistachio. I think they'd be less prone to overeating, if they were more interested in trying novel and exciting things, rather than just eating for the sake of eating.

( One brow raised, she gives Rhys a once over, as if to say, he's so skinny, she figures that's not a problem for him at least. ) But you have an appreciation for the finer things in life, no?

[rhygret]

Oh you noticed?

[ Just watch this drunk loser puff up all proud, trying to look Cool and Capable and certainly not as sloshed as he is as he holds his arms akimbo. ]

Not to brag [ totally to brag ] but I'm sort of a big deal back home. Vault man, Business Hunter...

[ ...... ]

The full package deal here baby.

[valcurie]

( She watches him. She listens to him. And she stares at him.

And then she laughs. Doubling over, her hands on her knees, lasting for a good ten or twenty seconds before she pulls up and wipes the corners of her eyes. ) Ah, so I see you still have your pride!

So, you wouldn't mind a little test, would you? Something simple for the total package! All I need you to do is put one hand on your head, and one on your stomach, and rub in opposite directions. ( She demonstrates just in case he doesn't understand. )

[rhygret]

[ She's totally in awe of his awesomeness. That's what that reaction is, and Rhys might start off smiling, then look a little confused as to why she's laughing, then start squinting...but when he almighty test to prove him crops up Rhys just scoffs and shrugs his shoulder. ]

Pfffft, thash--that's child's play. I don't see what that proves at...

[ he had a train of thought there, but it got derailed by the fact that he's trying to fulfill the challenge and coming up short. Like really short. He can get a hand on his head, but he starts patting his stomach instead of rubbing it, and when he tries to correct it he just rolls his hair around.

This man

is d r u n k ]

[valcurie]

( That was obivous to her before; now it's flagrantly clear, like a great warning fire. She's actually concerned by his display, and she thinks, she must help him to bed before he passes out in a gutter. Or something worse happens to him. They are strangers in a foreign land, even if they are ostensibly welcome, what do they really know of this place? At least at the inn he will have a soft place beneath him.

A drastic situation calls for drastic measures, so, with her search for chocolate forgotten, she comes in close and puts one arm around his shoulders, then moves closer still, as if to confide something in him. )

Well, it displays that you must have good taste! And I think someone might have surprised you and ordered ice cream to your room. Like room service. Don't you want to go and see, before it could melt? ( Total bs. Will he see through it? )

[rhygret]

[ Gosh Angela he's drunk but he's not dumb. ]

Waaaait...are you trying to surprise me?

[ See. Gawd. Rhys knows a surprise party when he sees one??? (This is literally the conclusion his intoxicated mind has jumped to. This is clearly some sort of ruse to surprise him). ]

[valcurie]

( Give her a few seconds to consider the possible consequences of lying to him. She decides, ultimately, that whatever they end up being, they are not nearly as bad as leaving him to let something awful happen to him because. See, she cares!! Have a sweet, sweet smile. ) Hmm, I wonder. You'll just have to find out, won't you?