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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(There's Ann and Ryuji on either side of him, multiple dinner plates already loaded with abundant spoils from the buffet. Neither teen responds to his verbal prompts, chattering as if on script, and he blinks down to the (not) cat sharing his seat.) ]
Morgana?
[ If memory serves him right, he ought to be flabbergasted about beans right about now... But it seems as if he misses his line entirely, trying instead to bound over to the food. ]
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[ he's now starting to smack the invisible wall with his hands. some kind of barrier! it's hard and cold, completely transparent, and incredibly frustrating that he can't break it. he even goes the distance, pointing at it and yelling in an authoritative tone: ]
Take this!
[ and the boxing glove flies out of nowhere, Zorro's presence unmistakable as goes THUNK! against the barrier. nothing happens, except for Morgana getting frustrated and sighing. ]
... this isn't real. [ he already knows. it's a shame, but he knows. his heart was broken back then, too, when his teammates brought back food that was just DISGUSTING. and being reminded by it now doesn't make him feel any better. ]
But wherever we are, we can't stay here. Help me out!
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Zorro's punch fizzles out on contact, but his friend isn't so easily deterred. It's Joker's turn to bat, and he tries to target the source of distress instead—the very spread in front of them. (Remove the distortion, and the rest should fix itself, right...? Or something...?)
There's an odd chime as he calls on Arsene, and a burst of energy cracks right through the table, sending pieces of grub and dining ware flying. —But each fragment is only displaced so far, and for so long. Everything freezes in its trajectory, before vacuuming back into its original fit like a tape set on rapid rewind. It's absolutely preposterous to behold.
...Akira tries the same trick again, if only to watch this time as the table miraculously reverses the damage. ]
...Did you see that?
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W-whoa! Joker!
[ and his eyes widen. it starts to make sense. also, they won't have to eat the food and this is surely a blessing all in and of itself. does memory food taste worse than the original, or better?
maybe they won't have to find out. ]
Wait... smash it again!
[ because he's going to time it out very carefully. the next time the fragments are made, Mona will blast it with a Garu. easy. no punching. ]
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For now though, he'll go along with whatever Morgana's got up his sleeve. ]
Sure.
[ He pulls his focus together once more, releasing another small surge of power that obliterates the table a third time. (Baton Pass...!) ]
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like a window pane, it shatters. ]
...
[ nervously, Mona edges near where the 'glass' once stood and reaches through it, only to find his paw disappears. ]
I think... is this the way?
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...What if they lose each other trying to pass through? He glimpses down at Morgana after considering this possibility. ]
Could be. ...Let's stay together.
[ He means it. He reaches down and gently scoops him up, holding him protectively in his arms as he walks them both across the threshold. ]
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--- the second floor of Cafe Leblanc fades into view. the lights are off, and the faintest bit of light comes from the window next to the bed. someone is visibly struggling on the bed beneath it.
it's... ]
... you know if I was really that heavy, you could've moved me.
[ he gives Current Akira's chin a gentle poke. ]
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...Weird to be spectators this time around, too, instead of participants. He has to grin a little at the expense of his past self. The illustrious leader of the Phantom Thieves, brought to wit's end.
He grins down at his buddy, shifting his weight slightly so he can poke back lightly in return, fingertip scritching just under Morgana's chin. ]
It's cause you were that heavy that I couldn't.
[ He crouches down to release his charge before taking a look around himself, unable to keep the nostalgia from his voice. ]
...When was this?
[ Ironically, even if it's partly his memory (partly Morgana's), he can't actually place which specific night it had fallen on. (He can sort of get a sense however, from the various memorabilia decorating his room... Probably around the time he got that figure from Futaba...) ]
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Hey! Maybe you need a little more training. The chair is right over there, yeah?
[ and this earns Akira a headbutt, as he slips from his arms and hops over to the chair, pulling it over to where he'd normally sit to ask whether a protein shake was needed or not, though he wouldn't sit on it as a cat but as his Metaverse-created form... kicking his legs, as he waited for Akira to come over and do some pull-ups.
not really, though. ]
Joker... what do you dream about?
[ watching Akira struggle is kind of entertaining. but maybe it's Morgana that needs to do some training, so he could finally reach an unrealized goal of his. ]
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But still, he's (mostly) joking when he answers, ] I hate that chair.
[ He still remembers the dusty embrace of the attic floor from all the times he's sprawled out on it after over-exertion...
As for his dreams, ] ...My friends. You.
[ That isn't just lip service. He's chased after Morgana several times in his sleep now, but like a proper cat burglar he'd always escaped.
Akira inspects his houseplant, then wanders to his toolkit, hands fanning across the bright red cover. ]
...Wish we could take some of this back.
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[ taken by the Storm. that chair is totally destroyed, the houseplant and shelves lined with various trinkets as well. even the dust is probably no longer with them, absorbed and withered away--- if dust can even do that. ]
But you know what? Things can be replaced. We can probably get better ones now, too.
[ he hops off the chair, bouncing up to Akira with a smile. of course, he's also upset about what they've lost, but the one thing he did recognize when up in the Station, still shaking off the cold and the weakness that stretched from tail to ears was: ]
And at least we're all here, in some form. Everyone will wake up in time, right? So maybe, you won't have to dream about us that much.
[ and he won't need to chase Morgana anymore. his cat-like friend will be running to him instead away. ]
Unless it's good things, and there better be sushi, Joker. No beans.
[ NO BEANS ]
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He grins down at him, head canting to the side. ]
I can't pick my dreams, you know.
[ And isn't it worse to envision something you can't actually eat? (As they've just learned...) Still, he can concur that it's far better to imagine sushi than beans. ]
...What do you dream of?
[ (Is he still having the same nightmares...?) Mementos is gone, and with it whatever truth, or at least closure Morgana had been looking for... Would he be able to truly rest not knowing? ]
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[ funny how a rookie, his apprentice, had grown so strong since the first time he saw him. he's almost 100% sure that if Akira wanted to dream about something, he could make it happen. he's that confident. he'd bet anything on it.
but Morgana's not really sure how to answer that question. the nightmares are elusive, coming only when he least expects it. for all the Good they've accomplished, he rests lightly, able to find the deeper sleep when he's positive he can find that ever elusive peace-of-mind.
this is when he becomes heavier than a boulder, tbh. ]
The same things. [ wistfully said, while he looks up at the beam and wonders if he could've ever done the same kind of training? ] You know?
[ perhaps he'll find a little more peace settled on top of Akira, or beside him... or on his face. either way, his nightmares will follow him. it's sadly inevitable. ]
Hey... I wonder how we can get out of this one?
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Good question.
[ They destroyed a table the last time... mayhaps breaking more furniture was the solution? (That chair would be the first to go.)
Alternatively, ] Attack the imposters. I'll take on the cat, you get the other one.
[ He means it! He gently picks up memory-Morgana and gives him a little shake, then starts prodding him in his super soft belly. He even squeezes his toe beans! It is merciless, and savage.
(And also seems to work. The gross departure from the original continuity of the memory seems to create cracks in it, a bright splinter running down the window like a shooting star.) ]
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[ and this is when he stops talking. because, despite it all, watching Akira assault the Memory Morgana (AKA the Memgana) is almost too difficult to watch. he tucks a paw over one of his eyes, passing over one of his ears. it springs back up, and he has to listen to those very soft noises of beans being touched and gentle pokes?
is this the kind of torture that Morgana will have to bear? the kind of pain and suffering that no cat, especially he, should ever have to face?!
well. TWO can play at this game.
he immediately bounces off the chair, leaping up onto the bed--- and he shifts seamlessly into his feline disguise. it's almost like that dark fur of his blends and reshapes itself as Morgana snickers to himself. yes. he knows. it's time to use this body as a true weapon.
and he crawls onto Memkira's face and goes full loaf.
those cracks widen, like ice splintering under weight. each new break causes a newer one, and so on and so forth. light trickles in, carrying the warmth of the real world... it's only a matter of time. ]
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(It's almost a shame to see it go, but the past is what it is—better put to rest.)
—Time for a final attack. Morgana happily loafs on Other Akira's, and Akira himself returns the favor, mashing his entire face right into Memgana's tummy, blowing a fierce raspberry.
The last of the room shatters, and their counterparts both fade and vanish in motes of soft light. They're left back where they'd started, in Akira's current room in Olympia... ]
...Wonder what that was about.
[ Beans... and attics... ]
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the other two Thieves in their party at that time would probably just leave. honestly. witnessing such a thing would terrify even the strongest or densest of people
Ryuji. ]I don't know. Neither of them really made sense.
[ as in, if one were to analyze both--- whatever similarities between them would seem a stretch at MOST. ]
But we were in both of them, so. I guess it's a good reminder of where we were once, and where we are now.
[ which is in an actual bedroom, and he jumps up onto the bed. ]
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...Yeah.
[ For whatever reason the memories had been triggered, at least they hadn't been so painful to relive. Perhaps seeing them once more in retrospect even cast a strange, rosy glow on the uncomfortable situations, whether it was an unappetizing plate of beans or a restless night of sleep.
In any case, he's inexplicably wiped from it all and immediately crowds onto the mattress next to Mona, yawning a cavernous yawn. (He'll even beat him to the punch...) ]
Let's go to sleep.
[ He gently pulls his cat-shaped friend onto his chest, hands lacing over his soft back as his eyelids flutter shut. ]