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 an AC-eligible thread with a new character as a participant for 2 OLYMPIA REP POINTS OR 2 WYVER REP POINTS, respectively, HERE or HERE. THESA STATION
All refugees on the station are called to the hangar where a large-scale teleporter has been set up; everyone will be sent to the planet together. Simply step onto the space between the arrays and wait. Before they depart, all new refugees will be given a starter kit!
 You may have heard about earlier technical difficulties, but don't worry. I promise everything is in perfect working order this time. I'd say I tested it myself, but since that's not exactly possible, you'll just have to trust me! (Please.)
The older refugees will also be there to guide you to ensure no one is left confused... or behind. Make sure you wait for them — I've been detecting something odd so I'll be having them meet you at the landing site. Good luck, refugees! Not that you'll be needing it or anything...
The arrays begin to hum and glow, quickly building into a brilliant wash of light. It creates a column that travels all the way from Thesa Station to the surface of El Nysa. With the night sky as a canvas, the beam can be seen all the way from Olympia and Wyver — a view that has the natives whispering of blessings.
As a sudden but beautiful aurora splays across the sky, the refugees down on the planet receive a message asking them to travel to the landing site — and warning them to prepare for what may come of the strange readings Zasere's gotten from the teleport itself.
Traveling through the light leaves the impression of blinding starlight, a strange sense of weightlessness, and a disorienting moment of total sensory deprivation. The radiance of your teleport hangs bright in the sky above you, a shimmering aurora that reflects off the calm waters below, visible for miles all around.
You've landed on a peninsula to the east of the South Outpost. There's little here — scattered trees on spring-barren plains, with a few overgrown, dilapidated structures poking out of the brush. All is quiet save for the keening of animals and the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. This lonely desolation is hardly the bustling cities and vibrant cultures you were promised back on the station...
BY CAMPFIRE'S GLOW. But waiting for you is a group of your predecessors, and with them, a veritable tent city, with portable stoves, coolers of food and drink, comfortable bedrolls, and cheerful rings of bonfires — all that you need to make merry of the night, courtesy of Overseer Voss, who has, thanks to his interest in blessed meteorological phenomena and refugees, decided to make a holy expedition of the affair.
Settle in, meet new comrades, and enjoy yourself, for you've safely completed your journey. But don't wander too far from the fires — the dark is closing in, and there's a strange, electric feeling in the air, the scent of ozone drifting on the breeze. And what were those odd readings Zasere mentioned?
A SHEPHERD OVER THE FLOCK. The spring sun dawns on a grey morning, already burning away the fog rolling in off the sea. It quickly becomes apparent that Voss and his entourage of acolytes have been up for hours, hard at work. They've set up a brightly-draped stage and a travel pulpit, magically enchanted to amplify his voice, and as the sun breaks over the horizon, Voss is all set to do what he does best: proselytize.
 As our Goddess has sent Her blessing once before to herald the coming of those touched by Her light, so She has done once again! Here you see them, those surrounded by the light of our Goddess, each of them bearing the mark upon their skin of Her holiest of hands! Do you not see? Do none among you bear witness to the righteousness of Her message? Perhaps this is why our people have shamed themselves in front of our Goddess—
[ He continues for another 15 minutes... ]
Nevertheless. See you them before us now! See them as they are, coming to our gates with Her reminder, that these people must be treated with the utmost respect and care. Thesa's divinity is not to be treated with such flagrant disregard! Those who She chooses are not ours to use as mindless fodder, to hurt, to torture — shame upon those who allowed such deeds to shame us under Her watchful gaze!
To those of you who have just arrived here on our doorstep, be not afraid! The Temples of Thesa welcome you to our home with hearts and minds open! Should you ever find yourself in need of solace, seek out the Temples, as there are no greater allies to you than those of us within the Temple walls. You are welcome all to Olympia!
As he steps away from the enchanted podium, he can be heard saying aside to an acolyte, "How was that? Heavy on the shame, but I think it went well!" While he will not leave the area immediately, his acolytes will politely turn away attempts to speak with him and remind anyone interested that they can leave a message at the Temples.
Despite going off without hitch, the new refugees' arrival isn't entirely without incident. It seems that the "blessed" beam of light that brought the refugees down to El Nysa brought something else along with it — a sliver of the Storm. At least the beam was short enough that only a small fraction managed to squeeze through.
But it's enough to wreak a little havoc around the landing site and along the road back toward Olympia and Wyver — and even, for a few days, in the cities themselves.
THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE. The Storm is an undeniably destructive force, and that's proven with this small sliver's effect as it ripples across the continent. While there's no visible sign of its presence, strange phenomena soon begin to appear, corresponding with Zasere's odd readings.
They're innocuous little things at first. A sudden silence, animals going quiet, insects stilling. All technology, no matter how advanced, ceases working. You discover when you check with a friend, the clock on your phone is twelve minutes slow even though you'd swear only a minute had passed — time missing. Walking through the woods takes longer than it should when brushing past one bush leads to brushing past that same bush again — and again, and again, the area looping on itself. It keeps you trapped, going in circles for minutes, even hours, before finally releasing you in a random direction.
Or perhaps you'll feel a sense of deja vu, like you've walked down this road, taken this turn, seen that bird fly from this branch before. This is the second time that cat has crossed your path. The person you're meeting, you already know their name; you're certain you've already met.
WE GOT COWS. The Storm sliver also ushers in sudden, localized weather anomalies — heavy storms, blizzards, strong winds, and more. Affected areas range from just a few feet wide to nearly half a mile. One minute, the sky may be sunny and clear, but the next dark storm clouds roll in, unleashing torrential rain. Small tornadoes surge along the road, kicking up winds strong enough to knock people over and carry objects away. Hail hurtles down from the sky, but only in a ten foot radius. Temperatures fluctuate wildly between one extreme and the next, from heat waves to cold snaps. Soupy fog blankets the area, thick enough that you can barely see your hand in front of your face. Good luck finding your way!
FORGETTING IS SO LONG. The visions come on suddenly and with very little warning. One second, you're carrying on as normal — but the next, you blink and find yourself (and anyone near you) somewhere else completely. You may recognize this place as a moment from the past, one that you lived through. It's a memory, your memory, and it now replays around you in exceptional detail, unnervingly lifelike. Or you may not recognize it at all. It might belong to the person next to you, or to someone else entirely — a memory that the Storm has swallowed up.
Either way, the scene plays out just as it once did, and there's nothing you can do to stop it — or escape it. The memory surrounds you to no end: every door you open leads nowhere, every hallway you turn down continues on forever, every horizon you flee toward hangs just out of reach. And linger too long or turn the wrong corner, and you may find yourself abruptly stuck in a completely different memory. It's almost tempting, then, to give up, to let the past sweep you away...
But this isn't the full might of the Storm. Look closely, and you can see that in the walls of this trap, there are minute, hairline cracks, a facade of fractured glass. Imperfections in the memory where the real world is breaking through. It seems the only way to escape these memories is to find those cracks and break through them — by force, by will, or by some other method entirely.
The time is coming to make a choice — perhaps not a permanent choice, but unless you want to spend the rest of your nights out under the stars, you'll need to pick which city you will initially spend your time in. On the horizon, you will see that people have arrived to help you make that decision...
A FORK IN THE ROAD. Refugees and the hyper-religious wishing to hear Voss speak are not the only ones out and about under the light of the aurora. Citizens of both Olympia and Wyver have flocked to a point on the road midway between the cities and where the refugees have appeared, and they all have the same goal in mind: convincing the newcomers who have just descended in the blessed light of Thesa to come to their city and not the other.
They've come with bribes — that is, examples of what their cities have to offer. If you spent much time at the exhibition up on Thesa Station, you might recognize some of what's being shown off, though the offerings here are markedly more tangible, and shown off by hawkers wearing substantially fewer clothes.
A herd of pegasi accompanies the Olympians, while a line of flying serpents is stabled at a tent bearing Wyver colors. Refugees are given the chance to experience solo flights and are told that if they prove their loyalty, they may have the privilege of owning such fine beasts one day themselves. The Olympians have also brought couture clothing, jewelry, and makeup to offer a taste of Olympian splendor, while the Wyver delegation has brought along fine weapons, sense-enhancing jungle plants, and small vials of diluted dragon’s blood (drinking confers a temporary boost in strength) to demonstrate their might. The Olympians speak proudly of the glory of the Temples of Thesa; the Wyverns speak of the Volkkran Pact and inform newcomers that they can make a pilgrimage to the summit of Namarak Mountain at the next full moon.
This is as good a time as any to compare your plans with others around you and exchange contact information before going your separate ways with people who are going to the city you are not. When you’re ready to go, don’t worry about safe passage — the natives of each city will gladly escort you there in luxury.
OF WHITE AND GOLD. The people of Olympia are ecstatic that you’ve come to join them... So much so that they’ve prepared a grand tour of the city for the new arrivals. You will be introduced to the major businesses in the city, including businesses that they are proud to point out were founded by refugees.
Refugees who have been here for some time already are encouraged to pair up with newcomers to introduce them to the parts of the city they like best. To facilitate this, they’ve made arrangements with many of the business owners: new refugees who visit their shops (and older refugees who escort them) are given discounts!
Just a few examples of many: the Wyvernest offers free desserts to first time visitors with the purchase of a drink, refugees who visit the Silk Wyrms can have one custom (though not exceedingly expensive) outfit made for them for free, and visitors to Shades Darker are offered a half-hour session with one of the prostitutes at half price… or access to a private room, if they seem to have taken a shine to one of their companions on the tour.
Lastly, tour guides will point out that over the course of the next week, the train to Flona Cove will allow new refugees to board for free so that they can experience the seaside for themselves. With the weather finally starting to warm, this is as good a time as any for a visit to the beach, isn’t it?
OF RED AND BLACK. Life in Wyver is typically a sink-or-swim sort of experience — but in light of the valor recently displayed by their predecessors, the natives are now more willing to assist in getting newcomers settled. The entire journey here they have been talking up the virtues of their city… and now is the time to show everything that's on offer.
The well-known businesses in the city are prepared for the influx of newcomers. Some are giving out discounted samples of their products while others are offering a more hands-on experience: in exchange for working a few hours, they will give training in whatever task is being performed.
At the Forged, newcomers can learn the basics of crafting simple weapons (and take one of their successes home), while visitors to spas near the lagoons are trained in the art of massage. Those who wander to Falmi’s Ring can learn the art of pugilism or how to keep (and fix) books if they're more inclined to the gambling that goes on. Newcomers interested in Wyver's dragons can get hands-on experience at the Fields of the Exalted's nursery. While they walk from place to place, a guide may point out a job posting from Highwind Hires, noting that refugees can make a name for themselves outside official channels.
The last stop on the tour is the Undergrowth. The guides speak of the jungle in reverent tones and caution new refugees not to wander too far in. They warn never to explore alone, but also urge refugees to take time to familiarize themselves with it; after all, the jungle is an important part of life in Wyver, and those who are going to be living here should understand it as well as they do.
You've chosen your path, refugee, but that doesn't necessarily make it a permanent one. Watch out for the strange effects of the Storm, which linger still in the two cities and everywhere in between for the next few days before dissipating just as mysteriously as they came, but otherwise enjoy the welcome and make yourself at home — after all, this is home now.
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Amaimon | Blue Exorcist
[ever since they landed on solid ground amaimon has felt unsettled. like an itch he can't reach or a buzzing along his spine that he can't chase away it sets him on edge. being on earth (or some kind of variation of it) helps - the smell of crushed moss and tree bark mixed with damp earth, the familiar weight of rock and crust under his feet bring down his tension, but it isn't enough.
he doesn't bother to interact with any of the camps and only wanders close enough to take an entire roast chicken (or some kind of bird) for himself, uncaring of any voiced complaints. anyone in tune with their instincts well enough make to stay out of his way as he chomps down on meat and bone. he walks out just past the tree line and starts to pace, casting glances into the darkness and then up towards the sky, unable to keep still for longer than a few minutes.]
[b - we got cows ]
[amaimon has never been in the business of 'helping' others. he's not really in the business of anything except minding his own, but things have changed just enough that he might have to reconsider his choices.
the torrential rains combined with hurricane-strength winds have torn at the roots of some of the larger and more top-heavy trees. amaimon is used to horrible weather, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. already he has had to move himself out of the way of more than a few falling branches and tree trunks, their washed up roots snapping up out of the mud like weakened rubber bands just barely holding onto the drowning earth.
he's watching one tree, larger than most of the others around it, start to fall forward. its groans echo under the sound of pelting rain and winds and he doesn't doubt it won't take a fair amount of other trees down with it when it falls.
until he spots someone just under its shadow, possibly stuck in the mud or between rocks or by fear itself. he doesn't move at first, battling with himself on what he should do when he hears one of the larger roots snap as loudly as a lightning bolt and suddenly the entire tree is falling.
before he can even think twice he's already running towards it.]
[ c - let's play a memory game ]
[shit's been really hectic lately so amaimon is taking a nap up against one of the trees, nestled between two large roots. arms crossed over his chest with his legs splayed out over some of the roots his head lolls to the side as he dozes away.]
[ooc: if u want a memory specify if you would like chaotic or kinda-cute / alt: if u wanna give amaimon a memory hmu over on plurk]
[ d - wildcard ]
[just what it says on the tin]
Wildcards u cw: blood and gore tbh
[He was about to learn how wrong that was.]
[Mephisto was taking the opportunity to point out some of the wildlife to Amaimon, filling him in on whatever plants or animals they might happen to pass by on their way to Olympia. Walking a little ways ahead, he was just about to point out a particular poisonous flower when the scenery around them shifts. It's a jarring shift, suddenly putting them indoors inside what appears to be a hospital... or maybe a battlefield. The scent of blood is strong in the air, and there's gunshots and screaming in the rooms around them.]
[And while Mephisto only gets an eyeful of the painfully familiar scenery, behind him, Amaimon will see the real show: Mephisto, badly injured and covered in his own blood, standing with his expression uncharacteristically vacant and his arms unnaturally held out at his sides, like a puppet on strings. One of his eyes is completely gone, and his chest bleeds from what appears to be a very recent gunshot.]
[Blood starts to drip down from his eyes like tears, his whole body trembling as if trying to fight against some unknown force holding him in place. "H-Help... me..."]
WOW THANKS
but he knows this isn't some made up illusion which makes the scene in front of him all the worse.
a few times he had wondered just what had happened to his brother in the last five months since he'd been here (or so he was told, he has no memories of that time). samael had changed in small ways, but for his brother even the smallest changes could only mean something very drastic had happened. changes for demons happened about as quickly as water running down the earth and turning land into mountains and cliff sides - it never happened quickly. his brother had hinted at it, but amaimon couldn't understand the clues.
he stands stock still as he stares at his brother's broken form hanging by invisible threads, eyes widened. he-... he doesn't know what to do. what does he do?!]
Brother...? [his voice is quiet as his mind is screaming at him do something do something. he takes a step forward, hand reaching out to try and find the invisible strings holding up his brother.] Brother?
<333
[But the memory doesn't stop there. A figure seemingly steps right through Amaimon to reach out to Mephisto, cupping his cheek and brushing away the "tears". Only then does Mephisto fall free from whatever it holding him in place, all but falling into Reign's arms.]
[At this point, the real Mephisto turns around, eyes wide as he realizes only too late just what Amaimon is about to see.]
[He wants to run over and cover his eyes. Amaimon didn't need to see this. He didn't deserve to see this -- to see just what this world has done to him. But... he can't move. In the back of his mind, that overwhelming sense of dread that kept them under their kidnappers control was still there, as if revived from being thrown back into the thick of things.]
[And so the scene carries on. Mephisto visibly healing in Reign's arms -- only for things to suddenly become much worse, as Mephisto tries to stand only to choke up a mouthful of blood. The blood runs from his eyes, from his lips, from his nose-- and his hands, as he holds them up to look at, quickly begin to blister and redden as the skin starts to necrotize.]
[It's something Amaimon would have seen his siblings go through countless times. But not Mephisto-- not Samael, the king of time, whose bodies lasted far longer than the others, and who would never allow them to see him in this state in the first place.]
</3
Brother- [he starts to pace anxiously, not unlike a trapped animal, his steps sporadic around the image of reign holding his brother so carefully-
he wants to scream, his hands moving between pulling at his hair and reaching out for his brother even when he knows his touch will pass through.] Brother- Stop it- [what he's seeing doesn't feel real. even when he knows the limitations placed on them here and the disadvantages his brother was at, he doesn't want to believe this was possible. seeing samael fall apart in the way only he and his siblings ever had was something he realized he never wanted to see.]
Stop it, stop it-!
1/2
2/3 I LIED
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B;
The next minute: she's being bodily moved, shoved out of the way of the falling tree, and the impact shocks her so much that she reacts instinctively: she teleports them.
It's only a few feet away, but combined with his movements, it's enough to get them well out of the way of the tree (which has crashed, by the way, with a mighty boom). She sputters at the man, rain drenching her within a moment.]
What on earth is wrong with you!
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is not what he had been expecting. not that he really expected anything. maybe crying or screaming? normal human reactions.
instead he's sitting in the mud and staring at this woman through the rain, eyes wide and blinking at her like some dumbfounded owl. her screeching doesn't seem to faze him at all and he looks between her and the fallen tree curiously.]
Did you teleport us?
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[She says it as though it's a common occurrence. It is not, but she's angry enough that she's not up to explaining.]
For god's sake, it took me ages to find that stupid tree.
[But she isn't yelling, not anymore. Oh, her voice is raised so he can hear her over the rain, but her fury is being suppressed. Rosalind gets to her feet, scowling as she pushes her hair out of her eyes.]
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[he asks simply, an honest question. standing up he doesn't bother to wipe away any of the mud or rain or leaves stuck to him because of the storm. he stares at her, curious and wondering.]
There are easier ways to kill yourself than by a large tree.
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a!
But she does notice out of the corner of her eye when he starts pacing. At that point, she gets up from her place at one of the bonfires and approaches. If he really can't sit still even after taking something to eat, maybe talking will help.]
...hey, are you all right...?
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he huffs, chewing on the tip of his clawed thumb.]
A storm is coming.
C. for Cute bc you baited me with it being surprising???
Dammit!
[ -- toward a... person?
She doesn't waste so much as a second. Pushing off from the branch atop which she'd been sitting, she teleports mid-air and steps atop one of those handy dandy roots, peering with bated breath just in time to see the marshmallow reach its unintended recipient... ]
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there's silence.
and then he pops the marshmallow into his mouth whole, keeping eye contact with her the entire time.]
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There's silence.
And then her eyes begin to narrow slowly into a squint, locked gaze unbroken. She doesn't so much as blink as the tail attached to her waist betrays an increasing curiosity for its increasingly quickening waving behind her. The marshmallow is gone, but this guy... ]
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chewing slowly, on purpose, and with his mouth open so she can see her little treat being savored by him. her waving tail doesn't go unnoticed by him and maybe if his tail was out it'd be thunking loudly against one of the tree roots.
when he finishes it he swallows the last bite loudly and licks his lips. maybe don't drop your food, ryoko???]
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a - by campfire's glow
She doesn't want to bother him, per se, but she hasn't seen him around on the network or in person before. He also reminds her a little bit of someone she's met. It's probably the ears. So she extends her hand, holding a fruit.]
Um...have you tried these yet? They're quite good.
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he sniffs it.]
What is it?
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[She's mentally kicking herself for forgetting its name. That would likely have been useful information to him, and also to her when shopping, but she can recognize them on sight and scent, at least.]
Good for washing down the meat you just ate.
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he takes a large and very loud bite out of the fruit, juice slipping down his chin as he chews it slowly.]
Ah... it is sweet. [he says quietly, thoughtful around the mouthful. a swallow and then he looks back to her before breaking off part of the fruit and holding it back out to her.]
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B
And then, in the blink of an eye, a tree is falling towards him, and it looks like he’s about to meet his end.
Except at the very last second Chuuya glows red and touches the tree, now only inches away from his body, and the entire thing stills in mid-air, surrounded by a red aura. It’s an impressive sight, but even more impressive is Chuuya then tossing said tree aside like it weighs nothing.
All of this seems effortless to him, and soon enough he turns to see the stranger rushing towards him.]
I got it handled.
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[he stops when he sees chuuya handling the situation and cocks his head in curiosity. it wasn't too far off from what he was about to do, minus the red glowing part. he brings a claws index finger up to his mouth, tapping his lower lip thoughtfully.]
That's pretty cool. What else can you do?
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[Wait...on closer inspection this guy vaguely resembles...
Hm. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.
Chuuya, always willing to show off, uses his ability to walk sideways along the fallen tree before hopping off and landing on the ground. Except he’s made himself at least ten times heavier, and he leaves a good sized crater behind.]
Gravity manipulation.
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a.
It's those pointed ears. Kaden is just too curious! So he waits a few minutes before heading off after the man, tracking him by the scent of the chicken. It's a lot easier to track food than it is a person. The nose knows, right?]
Hey. Hey! Wait up.
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amaimon turns his head, but instead of answering him he just stares. waiting for kaden to speak again.]
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I've never met someone who would walk up to a campfire, take the biggest piece of meat, and just walk away like that. You should've seen the stares you were getting! It was kind of hilarious.
[There's a jovial flick of his ears as he recounts the tale. He's here to socialize, nothing more.]
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