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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misa amane | death note
II. the truth? it's out there
closed to yoruichi
It takes her a few seconds to fully realize where they are, but as soon as she does, she can see that in front of them is the open door of her bedroom, herself and another tale, pale figure talking there. As soon as her other self chimes, tell me how to kill a Shinigami!, she can't help but give out a nervous laugh, already frantically trying to come up with an excuse that would make this seem normal.
In fact, let her just, take a quick step forward so she can get her hand on the door and try to close it, the two voices inside chatting quietly about the possible ways to kill one. ]
You can't look at this! This film set was obviously top secret back then...
[ Yeah. Yeah, she'll just pretend this is a film. She's a talented liar, but obviously doesn't think as far ahead as her "romantic" counterpart, and right after she says this, she can already see that there are a lot of..holes...in the explanation that this was for a movie. But she'll stick with it for as long as she possibly can, searching the other's face for some sort of reaction that she could build off of. ]
no subject
It's definitely not a memory she expects from Misa, of all people, and Misa seems just as keen to put it behind the both of them with rapid speed. Unfortunately, there's no way she's letting this go, not until she gets an answer. But she can indulge Misa for a few seconds at least. ]
Oh, is that so? [ Said with patently false interest in her voice. ] But you can tell me the plot now, right? Is the villain the shinigami and that's why you have to kill them?
[ C'mon Misa, spill the beans. She's not gonna let it go. ]
no subject
Obviously not. That Shinigami was my friend! In the movie. That's why she's helping me and answering my questions, duh...
[ It doesn't look like she will abandon ship just yet, averting her gaze to take in the state of her apartment from Earth. Wow, she really misses the place. She misses Rem too, and if the situation was not what it was, she would want to see Rem again, even in this little glimpse, but alas. She needs to keep trying to distract the other instead. ]
It's not like I was some Shinigami slayer in this role, I was just curious. They're death gods and all! Anyone would be curious how to kill them.
no subject
Most people don't even know that shinigami exist outside of legend.
[ Which is perhaps the more important thing here. Sure, everything's possible in a movie - Misa had at least crafted her lie well enough in that regard - but there are no producers swarming the small room, no lights hooked up high to illuminate Misa and her otherworldly friend in the best lighting possible.
There's something off about all this, for certain. Yoruichi lets her gaze wander through the memory, trying to note if there's anything else that seems out of place. ]
Why would you want to kill a shinigami anyway? Another one would just come and take their place.
[ A neverending cycle. ]
no subject
[ Her asking that is about half genuine curiosity and getting distracted, and half I-need-to-turn-this-on-you-and-away-from-me. Misa takes a quick glance at the other's face, just so she can see that strange lifespan of Yoruichi's again, before she continues. ]
Are you friends with real ones?
[ A strong emphasis on real, since the one in this memory totally, definitely isn't!!!! ]
no subject
I know a few.
[ More than just a few, technically, but she's only really friends with a handful, the rest having forsworn her a century ago. ]
Why do you want to know? Don't you already have shinigami friends of your own?
[ With another wave towards the "movie set" as she continues staring at Misa, expectant. ]
Though it's not very nice to kill your friends.
memory lane a
Seriously this thing is so ugly?? And Misa is hugging it???
Though it's an upgrade from her "boyfriend". ]
Misa? [ Puzzled, she searches for the other woman. Her expression that of confusion when she finally catches her panicked gaze. ] Misa, is that supposed to be a friend of yours?
no subject
But, anyways, damn it. She's been trying to think ahead as much as she can and just not mention anything from home, but this really does come out of left field; she hasn't prepared at all on how to react to this sort of situation.
So what bubbles out is, more or less, a nervous (and kind of guilty?) sounding laugh. ]
I can explain it to you later! It's really complicated stuff, like anima-tronics in movies.... I don't think they had those where you were from.
[ She waves her hand nonchalantly, bounding over to the little crack and setting her hand in it so she can start to pull. Meanwhile, as Misa begins to cry again, Ryuk does his best to comfort her in his weird and wacky way, further implicating the close relation between them. ]
Help me stretch this so we can go?
[ Misa says this in her best I'm-Your-Friend-So-Don't-Doubt-Me voice, tilting her head and trying to act cool as she can under this insane amount of pressure. Even if it means trying to inconspicuously cough while the other Misa cries out: Ryuk! Make the eye deal with me. ]
no subject
Anima-tronics? [ There's an evident amount of confusion laced across her face. Searching for anything possibly close to what Misa is describing to no avail. Futhermore, despite Misa attempting to pry Leanne's attention away from the memory, she can't help but feel a little nosy. ] Stretch... this?
[ She's clearly not paying any attention. Curiosity has bit the cat and Leanne's eyes, while she's blindly reaching for whatever crack Misa is referring to, can't seem to look away from the clear display of friendship between herself and Sans Undertale. ]
Ryuk? Is that supposed to be his name?
no subject
Ummm, yeah! You know, that's the character's name. He's like my helper in this movie. Kind of like a guardian angel!
[ But goth. And an angel that apparently is fine with questioning her about whether it's okay to halve her lifespan a second time, to which Misa seems to have no objections. The Real Time Misa is getting a little impatient with Leanne's curiosity, but with her staring at the scene in front of them, she has a little more time to fix her nervous expression and come up with a more concrete lie. ]
Isn't it kind of cool how real it looks? It's really too bad they didn't have these sorts of special effects where you lived.
no subject
Misa... if you want to keep this a secret I understand, but tell me that.
[ But she doesn't move to cover her ears, instead her gaze switching from the scene and to the woman she is speaking to. ]
Just say "this isn't something I want to open up about yet", because this just... [ There's a mild sense of irritation in her voice, with a hint of sadness despite her lips curved into a small smile. ] It'll really hurt my trust in you, y'know?
closed to kale
Oh my god, do you have the other key? I don't know if I have mine...
[ Please. It's so cold, and she just wants to be out of this rain!! ]
no subject
Part of her is tempted to just kick the door down, as she pats around her clothing for the key. However, that would only let the rain in and mean they'd have a door to repair later. Happily, she does have it - she'd put it in her purse instead.]
Got it!
no subject
I seriously feel like I hate it more here everyday. I mean, what gives? This weather is out of control!!!!
no subject
[The description hadn't sounded pleasant, and the reality is even less so. Kale can handle it, yes, but she'd very much like to not have soaked through clothing.]
You can use the bathroom first.
[She offers as she unlocks the door.]
I don't want you to catch a chill because of this crazy weather!
II
He blinked at her at first, which was about the only indication he'd give that he was surprised that she was in his face. His eyebrows furrowed slightly after a moment, some part of him wondering if her anger was connected to whatever he had been feeling.]
I haven't been following you. But our paths seem to cross a lot.
no subject
You're sure? And you weren't even doing it by accident somehow?
[ Actually, come to think of it, she hasn't seen him around before...ever. But she'd file that away for now, set on making sure this wasn't some weird sort of scam, because she's always extra paranoid about things like that. ]
no subject
Something is wrong with this place.