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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2b (or not 2b)
Until now.
The rage is the first thing that hits him, a tension he hasn't felt in quite some time. It feels intrusive to stand there, especially once the face of the woman registers, but there's no option left to him but stay there and watch in silence as Red strikes down the creature before her. But the most disturbing part comes after, as a new voice enters his ears and echoes and echoes and echoes.
He doesn't speak until after the stage vanishes, and even then his voice remains strained. ]
What was—that?
[ Who? ]
no subject
Something claws at her from the inside, desperately willing her to move. Run. Her chest feels tight and she feels queasy, the urge to scream growing with every second ( not unlike last time, then ). Except she wills all of that down. Left with hands curled into fists at her sides, her teeth clenched as she inhales, then exhales. The inhales again.
Frederick shouldn't have to see this ( he shouldn't see this, period. That wasn't him, and she's starting to like the Storm even less in the beginning ). The question cuts through the silence and she briefly contemplates leaving again — this time, she chooses to run a hand through her hair. Letting out the breath she had been holding.
And once the hammering in her heart finally slows some, she finally — finally — reaches for her phone. For how short the message is, she takes a suspiciously long time ( typing, then erasing, typing, then erasing, until she finds the best description she can come with ). She turns the phone to Frederick, but she's not keen on meeting his gaze just yet. ]
Someone I used to know. [ Unfortunately. ] We're not friends anymore. [ Obviously. ]
no subject
Or perhaps if she's not homesick at all, if an encounter with someone she used to know would turn out like this. He frowns as he reads the message on the screen, expression darkening at the vague explanation. Actually, he's realizing he doesn't know much about Red at all, despite how many conversations they've had thus far.
And yet he still wishes to know more about her, the events that have brought her to this point. He hesitates a moment, then asks: ]
Do you regret the way things turned out?
[ He doesn't feel as though he has the privilege of asking what happened, not just yet. ]
no subject
The state of her relationship with Sybil is complicated; the reason that Red has decided not to bring it up, ever, is because it's something that she doesn't want to consider. She's no coward, running away isn't a tactic she employs — and this isn't running away, either. Not really. There's just no use in worrying herself over it when there's no way to actually deal with it.
Sybil's in the pod, after all. Red has checked already ( and again, and again— ).
So — does she regret what she happened? She stares back at her screen again, words coming to her slower than ever. Red isn't a liar, and she's not fond of being one any time soon. ]
I think it might be a little late for that. [ In all honesty. Regardless of what happened, she didn't get much of a say in it.
Below that: ] I don't. [ She can't. ]
no subject
Even so, people are only human, and as far as he can see, Red is only human. Logic and rationality are grand things, oft sought after, but blocked all too frequently by the seesaw emotions of the heart. Even he can understand such things, and he would consider himself closer to a machination than most others.
But Red says she feels no regret, and he can see the truth of it in the straight lines of her shoulders and the upward tilt of her chin. So Frederick nods, accepting her answer for what it is. ]
I'm sorry you had to go through it all the same, though I realize my words do not change what has occurred in the past.
[ Red is—not quite a friend but certainly not an enemy either. Between them, silence falls again, this time a touch longer before Fred clears his throat. ]
Should you ever wish to speak of anything on your mind, I would be happy to listen.
[ A doubtful outcome, given Red's penchant for keeping her worries close to her chest, but the offer's genuine all the same. ]
writing an angst thread to that icon is kind of beautiful tbh
Funny how she learns that here, now, in the middle of a conversation about other, much heavier matters. Red exhales, but she's not upset. She shrugs, and then—
( A moment, then two, maybe three as she attempts to figure out what to type. It takes her a moment before she eventually turns the screen for him to read. ) ]
Maybe some other time. [ It's not quite... a no. Her knee-jerk response is a no. She's not keen to share anything with Frederick anytime soon, but she understands the offer. Keeps the option open, just in case. She'll keep playing her cards close to her chest until the day that she chooses not to anymore, and once that comes—
Well, maybe it'll be easier to speak to someone who's seen what happened. ] We should keep moving for now.
[ Or run into a Fred memory, who knows. ]
yeah i really thought it would help the mood
He blinks, forcefully shaking away the memory that bubbles up to the surface after so many years of being carefully locked away. ]
Let us go then.
[ But whatever's in the air has caught whiff of that momentary lapse and grabbed hold. The neon lights of Cloudbank flicker, then disappear altogether.
The heat hits him first, too-bright sunlight stinging his eyes as it floods around him and Red. And though it certainly isn't real, he can almost taste the sand in his mouth from the deserts that sweep in low hills around them. Not that he notices them at first, too busy taking stock of the weathered castle walls in front of him, the stone outcropping resembling a small peak in the near distance.
It takes a moment to put two and two, but as soon as he does, he's stumbling forward a step, eyes wide and panicked. ]
No...
[ It comes out less a protest and more a moan, a rejection of what he knows will shortly come to pass. ]
it was gr8, ty
In front of her is a sight she's never seen before.
Beneath her feet, stretching as far as she can see, is sand. No sign of water ( no sea, lake, barely even a pond ), just shades of yellow that make up the landscape. It's... disorienting, almost downright alarming; yet another proof that the city of Cloudbank — with its polished landscapes and tall buildings — was a minority through and through.
( This is more the Country, with the golden fields of wheat. )
But regardless of her realization, no matter how earth-shattering it may be, they're still here for a reason. In front of her, standing in the desert, is a sea of people — she turns around, and armed men ( soldiers ) all seem to be looking ... up. Out into the landscape, on top of a curved stone peak.
She can't see what's going on — not from here. But from the sounds of it, it ... doesn't seem to be a good thing. Her jaw tenses, if briefly, before glancing over at Frederick.
And before she can think too hard about it, she reaches out to gently grip his arm. In the hopes that it does... something. ]
i had more written and then dw ate it and i'm too tired to remember it all
The voices around them rise up even louder, in protest and glee. And then—there's momentary silence. A hush falls over the crowd, almost expectant.
She takes a step forward. Frederick closes his eyes, knowing what's to come shortly but unwilling to watch a second time. He'd always considered himself to be strong but right here, right now, with Chrom and Lissa safely tucked away and no one but Red to see, he allows himself this one moment of weakness.
Distantly, almost an echo to his own ears: ]
I couldn't save her.
[ Not 'we' but 'I', despite the small score of soldiers clustered around them. He'd always considered Emmeryn's death his own personal failure, for he had been the one to offer up his life for the Exalt and her kin all those years ago.
Emmeryn steps forward. Emmeryn falls. ]
it's fine this is just as horrific
Then Frederick mentions a she, and Red spots her in time. A small fleck of green and blond from this angle, yet the air of nobility is hard to ignore. Back straight and hands together, despite stepping closer and closer to the edge ( she finds herself gritting her teeth, unable to look away, swallowing down the urge to stop it somehow; the grief of the army that surrounds her almost overwhelming ).
She expects it, but the grip on Frederick's hand tightens when the dot of green plummets to the ground. From the distance, there's a cry of Emmeryn!, a series of heartbroken wails that paint the picture a little too well.
Not that she can do anything about it — they're back on damp soil and a beaten path the next time she blinks. ]
i'm glad they've both suffered so much
It's the gentle murmur of birdsong that returns him to his senses, a sweet sound completely at odds with the desolate Plegian desert. He blinks, once and then twice, then finally lets his shoulders drop in defeat. ]
I apologize. That was an unnecessary sight for anyone to see.
[ Even if he'd already witnessed an unpleasant memory of Red's, it seems entirely unfair to put her through a second unpleasant memory. ]
red & fred's no good very bad day
She gently releases his arm, just before giving it a gentle squeeze — because she understands the perils of losing someone, to watch them take their last breath. It's not a fate that she wishes on anyone, least of all the people she's come to know. She gives him the space he needs — her gaze wandering everywhere but at her companion, taking in the sights that may disappear at any moment.
( Hopefully not. She's had enough for the day, possibly forever. )
When he speaks, the corners of her lips quirk up. Wry and entirely too defeated to be kind, exactly, but it's a sentiment that she can relate to. She reaches for her phone inside her pocket once more, tapping away at the screen before allowing him to read it. ]
One for one. We'll call it even. [ One terrible memory traded for another, in some ways, whether they like it or not. ]
The same offer stands for you, if you need ever it.
ok wraps this up so we can start fresh, ty for suffering with me jaybo
That's kind of you to say.
[ To both her acceptance and the offer she repeats back at him, so reminiscent of what he'd offered earlier. And, like Red, while he certainly appreciates it and carefully tucks it away for later, right now he's feeling a little too raw to take her up on it. ]
But perhaps later, when the Nysans [ or whoever's behind this whole affair ] aren't playing such tricks on us. I do believe a good rest is in order for the both of us.
[ Or at the very least, a good distraction to pull the both of them away from their thoughts. Back to home they go! Or wherever it is Red wants to go. ]