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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Rohan is a nice guy, but he doesn't compare with an airplane in terms of reliability. ]
Robe??
[ He can barely hear with the wind whipping in his ears. They've somehow found themselves pressed together again, and JJ is not at all shy about the way that his arms have wound around Rohan's shoulders, grabbing fistfuls of his jacket in an attempt to hold on.
They're teetering further and further from the ground, so they need to think quick if they plan on surviving this. ]
No— [ ? ? ? ] Maybe I can swing you toward a tree!
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Why would I let you do that? I don't want to smash into a tree! [ He has a pretty high tolerance for pain, but that doesn't mean he wants to be put in situations where he might be injured. Especially if they're as stupid as being swung at a tree.
Another gust of wind blows, and Rohan can feel the heels of his feet leaving the ground. He doesn't like this suggestion, but it's the only thing they've got right now. ] Ughh, fine, just do it then! And make sure you don't miss or I'm going to make you regret it!
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JJ's own heels aren't even on the ground anymore, and the only thing he has that he can hold onto that isn't wind and debris is Rohan. So he holds on, his grip tight on Rohan's arms and fighting the urge to just duck his head and hide away the storm wailing around them. The wind is harsh enough to make his eyes water, but he holds on tight even as they get pushed around. With the both of them at the mercy of the wind now they're moving much faster on the ground, and it's then that JJ realizes he can't hold onto Rohan's arms if he wants Rohan to be able to grab onto a tree.
Which means... ]
You need to climb onto my shoulders!
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It sucks that they're fighting the elements, and this problem can't easily be solved with the use of Heaven's Door. If they were fighting a living creature, taking it out would be as easy as writing words on paper for him. ]
Fine, fine, I'll do it! I won't like it, but I'll do it! [ There's a loud groan, but he starts climbing all over JJ, struggling to keep himself still anchored to him in the harsh winds. Excuse him if he ends up kneeing the guy in the eye, or if certain other parts of his body get closer to JJ's face than they really need to. ] Throw me!
[ He'll keep his eyes focused on the tree branch and hope he can catch it. ]
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It seems to be going well, and JJ's just about ready to grip Rohan by the ankle to pull off his super cool, figure skating moving and launch him toward the closest tree except.
Except Rohan's foot on his shoulder slips and suddenly there's a knee smashing into his nose. ]
My those!!
[ BUT YOU KNOW WHAT even with tears in his eyes, the tree is too close now to give up this opportunity. In a move that JJ will play up when he tells this story to his children in the future, JJ manages to grab onto Rohan's ankles, and, with blood dripping down his face, spin him toward the tree. ]
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[ His own problems are more pressing to him right now. Mainly, the fact that he's going to get thrown toward a tree with no guarantee he'll actually be able to catch it. Take off comes after a few nauseating seconds of being spun, and Rohan does manage to hold on to the tree's branches. Sure, he did get scratched up from flying face first into a tree, but he barely takes notice of the pain.
Now, he actually has to help the other guy in return. As selfish as he is, he doesn't want to see anyone die. They're way too far apart for Rohan to physically reach him though. They -- oh. He can use his Stand. The little guy flies over, reaching his hand out to JJ. ]
If you can see him, grab on! [ His range is limited, so JJ will have to cross the distance Heaven's Door can't get to on his own. Rohan also doesn't actually know if JJ is able to see him or not, but so far, he appears visible to everyone in El Nysa. ]
no subject
When he sees the little hatted creature flying toward him, he doesn't even need to hear Rohan's words to automatically grab onto him, reaching for anything that would keep him ground. Admittedly, he has no idea what's going on, but he's seen Goemon appear a couple of times now that he doesn't even care to distrust the little guy. And it's obviously the right decision to make: their combined weights aren't much in the face of the raging winds, but thankfully the distance between the pair of them and the tree that Rohan is perched on isn't too great, and after a few, terrifying moments, JJ's able to grab one of them branches himself.
And then he all but launches himself at Rohan, which should be par for the course by now, but he doesn't care about his pride as much as he does get away from the wind. ]
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At least the tree trunk appears big enough to shield them from the incoming winds. They can hide behind it. Rohan leans against it, keeping himself small so he doesn't stick too far out and get hit by some incoming object. It's a good thing he's skinny. ]
We can hide out here until the wind calms down. [ Now, he takes notice of the blood gushing out of JJ's nose, though, and this makes him frown. It's because a small part of him is telling him that's his fault and the rest of him doesn't want to admit it. It's only because he feels a sliver of responsibility that he chooses to be helpful, taking out a handkerchief. He wouldn't normally care otherwise. ]
Oh, stop looking at me already! How was I supposed to climb properly while fighting against the winds? Use this to stop the bleeding. [ He shoves it at JJ's face. ]
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It isn't until Rohan hands him the handkerchief that he remembers his nose, which throbs dully now that he's not distracted, and he accepts the offering with a quick nod of his head, rubbing it against the dried blood smeared over his face before just holding it in place to catch anymore blood that might be trickling out. ]
It was an accident, but you can still apologize. [ He points out, though he doesn't really care at this point. He's too exhausted by everything that just happened to be worried about who kneed who in the face.
Rather than arguing the point further, he just sighs, sagging further against Rohan and settling his chin against his shoulder. ]
Almost feels like a better idea to just beam back to the station, doesn't it?
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While he doesn't quite like getting so close to other people, he will allow it for now, given the situation. When JJ says that other thing though, he grasps at the boy's shoulders with urgency. ] What? We can do that? Nobody told me!
[ He's been such an asshole that nobody really tolerated him enough to give him the newbie downlow yet. ] Hey, you -- [ what is this guy's name... ] Don't start falling asleep.
[ beam them back??? ]
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[ His words are muffled from the handkerchief settled against his nose, though that doesn't stop him from conveying his annoyance when Rohan grabs him by the shoulders. JJ doesn't particularly enjoy being manhandled, nor does he like being told what to do so Rohan's approach isn't the best right now. ]
I said almost. It might just beam us back to the Southern Outpost when we come back, and then we'll have to back the entire trek all over again. Plus, teleporting makes me really nauseous. We're going to survive this! We just need to wait out the storm.
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... Fine. I just dislike waiting around. [ He likes to look at things, explore things, experience things; standing helplessly in a tree isn't quite on the list. Rohan crosses his arms, slumping back against the tree.
So they wait until the weather changes??? what can they even do, spoon ]
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Besides, he's a millennial, so he just pulls out his phone and lets that entertain him. ]
You can go back out there.[ He glances back up at Rohan. ] I won't save you next time though.
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While JJ is a millennial, Rohan was born in 1979. At his period of time, they did have mobile phones, but they were nothing as high-tech as what the Natha had given them. The screens didn't even come in colour, and they weren't touch screens. Texting culture also hadn't exactly taken off yet in the time he comes from. That's why he can't understand why JJ has his eyes glued onto the phone, and maybe finds it sort of irritating. ]
What could be so important that you have to look at your phone right now? Pay attention when someone is speaking to you. [ pay attention!!!! to him!!!!!! ]
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Until now.
The wind is still whipping around them, making JJ squint every now and then when his hair pokes into his eyes, but he's sure to give Rohan a knowing smile. ]
Were you talking to me? [ You shouldn't have said that, Rohan. Now JJ's ego is in full blast. ] Oh, after my heroics you must be a little attracted to me.
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I'm saying that when there's somebody else around, it's only polite to put away your phone. [ Especially when that person is him, the GREAT Kishibe Rohan. Anyway, now he's curious about what could be so interesting about the phone. Rohan taps at it with his finger. ] What are you even looking at?
[ He'll take a peek. Is he texting?? ]
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[ He says, right before his gaze drops back to his phone. But it's for the purpose of sharing, as he carefully angles his screen so that Rohan can see. There's a tornado going on around them, but apparently there's still time for ]
I was looking at some selfies I took so I can pick out the ones I want to share.
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Anyway, there is a tornado going around them, but unless someone with wind abilities that Rohan can manipulate suddenly enters the scene, there's really nothing they can do. He might as well satisfy his curiosity and try to figure out just what JJ is doing. ]
Share? With who? Me ...? [ why ... ]
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No, with my friends. [ Though that sounds kind of mean, and Rohan might have attitude but JJ doesn't actually harbour any ill feelings toward him, so he follows up with, ] But I can send you some. They'll brighten up your day.
no subject
I feel nothing when I look at your face in the flesh. How is looking at your face through a phone going to lighten my mood?
[ also i guess the tornado is calming down a bit ]