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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zero / dod3
✿ b.) white & gold
✿ c.) wildcard
@yusuke; cw: mentions of abuse, blood, etc
zero resents the fact that this red-eyed girl is nearly identical to her sister, "one." acted the same way too, always spewing nonsense about injustice in the world. how it wasn't fair. these children don't know that life is always unfair, and they die thinking they could have changed it.
and it's why zero doesn't feel pity, at the state of the girl or even herself. rose is dying also, not as bloody, but she still had gone through the same treatment as the other, muttering to nonsense to herself as if anyone's listening. zero and the boy before her sit outside of this cell watching the scene unfold, though to be honest, there isn't much to be seen. she remembers this moment, precisely because she'd been reminiscing about how she'd gotten here in the first place. seventeen years of bullshit treatment, of being robbed of money, her life, and her womanhood; of being betrayed by friends and family and just fucking greedy sons of bitches. rose is right to have cursed the world then, but why the flower had chosen her as a host, she would never understand.
she hadn't been the only person in midgard that felt this way, that hated the world — so why her? ]
Quit gaping. [ her command is a stern one, only because yusuke had been quiet the whole time. there's only the small pitter-patter of the rain — haha, that's right. it had been raining the night she died, the night the flower found her. ]
This is fucking ridiculous... [ despite her composure, she feels helplessness. are they stuck here just to die once again? and why is this kid stuck here with her? she leans her head back, the back of her head supported by the wall. she can't help but look at her dying self in the memory, so she combats this by keeping her attention fixed on yusuke instead. ] You have something to say?
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He'd tried his luck against the bars earlier, but there was nothing to be done about them; all they could do is watch. And listen. He's trying to hear the young girl that would be Zero, only to be interrupted by the present day version. ]
I...
[ There's not really much to say, though his silence doesn't trail on for long; he's tired of human atrocity, but not enough to be jaded, turning to her but still gesturing to the cell. ]
Why would anyone do this to you? To anyone?
[ The scene is so thoughtlessly callous: two unarmed people literally left to rot after being beaten blue and black and red. He doesn't know this other girl, doubtful that she could hear what they're saying. Even if there weren't whatever veil of space and time is between them, she's so far gone, little left to her besides a few, fading muscle spasms. But Zero's practically a stranger to him, too. He doesn't need to know them intimately to be outraged—it's really a wonder she's taking this as... gracefully as she is, if it could be called that. ]
jesus christ it's been nine days... please excuse me...
I was a criminal, you know. Don't they punish criminals where you're from?
[ which suggests that, yeah, this is deserved. she left a trail of blood wherever she went; it was only a matter of time before she's caught. ]
crawls back too
@percival; cw: murder, mention of suicide
she remembers this time too, the pause that had cost her so much. here, she attempted to kill herself. it's not suicide, she tells herself, because she's already dead. the flower has brought her back to life, turned her into this monster, and now in order to destroy it, she must destroy herself. but still, when she saw the children that manifested from the flower, she hesitated. they looked at her with the same kind of pathetic eyes that she imagined she had when she was younger, and thus, she was unable to kill them as they ran off.
zero doesn't notice percival in this memory trap with her; she's too absorbed this this mistake that had costed her everything. she's unable to snap out of the daze, and as her old self stood there, she couldn't help but chase after the five clones, gripping tightly on her blade. ]
I... won't make the same mistake again!
[ that is to say, she's lost in her memory, and she's going to kill her sisters here. ]
@cain; cw: mentions of death and suicide
it's only in surveying her surroundings that she finally notices someone there with her - it's cain, whom she had met up on thesa station. they spoke of secrets before, and admittedly had a good time - but admittedly, back then, she noticed that he seems too cheery of a person to be without baggage. she knows people like him, and while it made her curious, she didn't press the matter because she doesn't really care. here, she hears whispers. talks of a brother, of death — but never anything she can parse completely.
his feelings aren't the only things being scrutinized; her own reservations about life is being showcased: her voice speaks of how she must find a dragon, only a dragon can destroy her, but she must kill her sisters first... that is the only way the world would be saved by the destructive force of the flower.
the world around them fades in and out until it finds peace in a cave; a fire keeps them warm, and a dragon nearby keeps them safe. mikhail is sleeping, as are her only disciples. only cain and zero remain awake in this memory. ] Uhh...
[ she breathes, uncertain what to make of this. at the very least, it's far better than what she's gone through. she stares at the fire instead of looking at cain in the eyes. ]
This is fucking weird.
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[ Soft agreement, Cain a bit distracted. Those whispers, the snatches of memory — the glimpses he'd seen of his brother— He shakes his head, trying to snap himself out of his daze. Hoping that glimpses is all they'll be seeing.
He looks up, taking in their surroundings. The cave is a far cry from the streets of Idelva where he'd last seen his brother, the campfire's flames gentle instead of the raging fires that had consumed his kingdom. Not his memory, then. Which means... ]
Is this... your memory, Miss Zero? [ He gives the sleeping disciples a curious look — and the sleeping dragon a more startled glance, gesturing to them with a tilt of his head. ] Your companions?
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Yeah, something like that. [ she glances at mikhail too, with only a hint of a smile. ] Don't let his looks fool you. He's a sorry excuse of a dragon.
[ zero places a hand on her temple. ]
How long are we supposed to endure this — I thought we were done. So what's this supposed to do, make us have a heart-to-heart?
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@akira; its just groundhog day
but it happens again, meeting eyes with the boy, then passing him. she only notices things were on a strange loop when she passes him a final time, seizing him by the wrist to keep him in place. ]
You're responsible for this, aren't you?! [ she's just desperately trying to break the cycle... ]
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By the time he's ready to make a half-serious request for directions, she's already marched up to him and clamped a hand over his wrist. (He blinks down, then up again, not sure where to look and clearly baffled by the accusation altogether.) ]
What?
[ She thinks... he's keeping them both here for fun...? (He forgets to voice that question and jumps to the next,) ]
...Why?
[ ur hot, stranger, but he'd like to get home too kthnx ]
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I've seen you three fucking times! You're the most suspicious thing out here!
[ she's not mentioning the quieting of the animals and... well... everything else. it's very possible that he's stuck with her, but also consider: it's much easier to take it out on him than to hear him out. ]
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she moves faster on it and there are a lot fewer dangers than the sky, like having to fall out of it. as fate has it, the trail she is walking along is the same one that zero is flying over and so it isn't a surprise when she hears a familiar yell.
all it takes is one look up for her to see who it is and she springs into acts. having zero fall down to the ground doesn't sound like an ideal situation to be in. thank yoko taro that a2 is strong enough to catch her without falling to the ground in the process.
not sure how comfortable the landing for her friend is though. ]
Do I want to ask?
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she braces for impact with the ground, but instead finds her face pressed against a nice pair of android breasts. this is a good way to go.
before long, she has to stand on her own again, and she finds that after the ride, her legs feel a little wobbly, and she holds on to a2's shoulder to balance herself. ] Don't.
[ she's grumbling as she finds her footing, and she glances at a2. ]
That's some timing, A2.
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It almost feels like luck decided to be on our side.
[ get it?? because luck is never on their side. or, at least it hardly is in a2's own experience. ]
I'm glad to see you haven't become a pancake today.
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Not to mention—that woman up there seems in dire need of a hand.
She falls and he leaps forward, arms outstretched to catch her. It's not a graceful landing by any means, Zero's momentum enough to bowl the both of them over, but she lands on top, most of the impact absorbed by Fred's body underneath.
He doesn't see enough of her face to recognize her just yet, and simply asks with no small amount of concern in his voice: ]
Are you quite alright?
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she squeezes her eye tight, bracing for impact. zero can't be surprised if it's just her strain of bad luck, but the silver lining is that someone had been looking out for her. she thinks at first that it might be archer, sensing she was in danger... and she doesn't have time to see her hero - not until they've hit the ground and she miraculously came out unscathed. the man below though — ]
I'm fine... thanks. [ there's dust in her eye when she attempts to open it, her vision blurry until she's finally able to focus on his face. ] Wait, aren't you...?!
[ while not rolling off of him just yet. she doesn't even remember his name? did they exchange names? probably not. ]
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Nonetheless, here they both are, dusty - but alive and intact! - messes on the ground. Frederick groans a little, but his mind quickly clears as her familiar voice rings in his ears. ]
Oh. It's you. [ The disappointment rolling off his tongue is palpable. ] I'm relieved to see you haven't sustained any serious injury.
[ That much, at least, is genuine. She might have the most intolerable personality he's ever experienced, but that's hardly any reason to wish grievous injury upon a person. ]
But surely you should have taken more precautions before attempting to ride such a dangerous beast?
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c.
JJ's heart is pounding, and he's barely keeping his feet on the ground when he's pushed in Zero's direction. They're strangers but he grabs onto her nonetheless—maybe her arm or her waist, hopefully not her hair—just out of sheer desperation. Mostly because he doesn't want to tackle this alone. ]
H-hey, we need to go find shelter!
[ The trek toward Olympia can probably wait a few hours while they wait for the wind to calm.
Especially because a ducking pig slams into them as soon as the suggestion leaves his lips. ]
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jj is holding on to her prosthetic arm, and even she understands how dire this might be; it could very well fall off if the wind is strong enough. ]
This is your definition of finding shelter?! [ because he's only slowing her down!
it's amazing that while her arm hasn't fallen off with a young adult tugging at her, but a fucking pig manages to sling itself right toward them. it dislodges the blade from the ground and sends them both several feet back. before he can roll off and die with the pig, she'll grab him by the ankle and haul him toward her. ] If you want to live, stay close!
[ there are some boulders in the forest, maybe they can wait it out there... ]
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The squealing stops.
His attention very rapidly shifts back to Zero, the wind battering against them as his grip on the earth beneath them grows weaker. ]
I've got you! [ Well, she's not shoving him away, and he's quick to grab onto her arm again once she's pulling him close. The wind makes it difficult to hear, but they're huddled close enough together that it isn't too much of a problem. ] C'mon!
[ They've got no option but to crawl toward the forest, keeping low against the ground lest they lose their grips on it. It doesn't help that the wind seems to change direction seemingly without any reason, a sudden blast shoving JJ toward Zero but hopefully not... impaling him on her sword... ]
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a.
Are you all right?
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Do I look all right?!
[ well, she isn't bleeding, so the answer is arguably "yes," but she's a mess. her face is now powdered with dirt, her previously white dress now stained with streaks of earth and grass. something like this wouldn't bruise her, though. ]
Fucking useless son of a bitch! How is anyone supposed to ride that thing?! [ then she turns her attention to the young man. ] And you! You couldn't be assed to catch me?
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He leans forward, reaching out to her, though he isn't offering her a hand up. Instead, he's reaching for the flower on her face.]
You have something in your eye.
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b
Ever since what had... happened, she'd been cooped up in her house for most of the time, only leaving to get supplies. But she can't be in there forever, right? She has to leave and face the world sometime. And to You, one of the best ways to do that was to go to a place she'd never spent much time in before-- where she didn't have many memories that could get dredged right up. Even going to Silk Wyrm made her think of the riots, but the red-light district? It was new.
New, and a little overwhelming. She's never been any place like this for an extended period of time, and she really doesn't have any idea what she's doing. And then the woman just speaks to her.
You blinks, and points at herself, as if to confirm that she's the one being asked.] Me? Uh, like fifteen an hour most days.
[She says, talking about her job as a seamstress.] Why?
sorry for the delay!
Fifteen - fifteen silver? [ zero knits her brows. ] Ever stop to think they're ripping you off?
no problem!
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