❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets

[natha]

You've spent the last few days on Thesa Station, taking in the knowledge that your world is no more. Now, the time to put all your survival training into practice has arrived: El Nysa needs you, and you're here to help the planet thrive. Are you ready? THE DESCENT     All refugees on the station are called to the hangar, where a large-scale teleporter awaits. Simply step onto the space between the arrays and wait; everyone will be sent down to the planet together. Before they depart, all refugees will be given a cold weather survival kit with warm clothing, rations, and bedding. The arrays build into a brilliant wash of light, creating a column that travels all the way from Thesa Station to the surface of El Nysa, teleporting the refugees to the planet on an aurora. Once on the planet's surface, refugees receive one last message from Darma. It has been a long, perilous year for you, refugees. And yet we must ask you to brave further peril. Within Nadril are the secrets to how poor Ysverai's revival was hidden from our sight and how this disaster has come to our star. Find the first refugee from beyond this planet, a man named Magda. He will not speak to us, for much has come between us, but to you… If you prove yourselves, he may be willing to answer your questions. We beseech you, for there is a veil over Nadril that hides all within from us. There may yet be more untold dangers waiting to befall this planet. For the good of all who make this world home, we ask you to lend us your aid. There is yet one more favor we would ask of you. In warding off the Storm's encroachment, the physical aspect of ourselves that you call Thesa Station was damaged. We must remain to continue repairs to El Nysa and to deal with Ysverai, but there should be suitable technology within Nadril that could be used for spare parts. If you have the chance to find it and can return it to us, it would hasten— Darma's message crackles with static, another image overlaying hers — her broadcast is cut off and replaced with another. A more sullen and alien voice takes Darma’s place, overlapping on itself in an ominous reveal. It has been a long, perilous year for you, refugees. And yet you’ve only just arrived here. To say I’m not disappointed in your… generation would be to lie, and I am nothing if not an honest creature. But I suppose these have been unusual circumstances. You must ask yourself this — are you only here as Darma's lapdogs? I can assure you, it's not worth being on the Natha's leash. With time, that will be something you'll have to learn for yourself. If you're so determined to come find Nadril, then follow the path north, and you'll find the border. What awaits you is revelation, if you're up to the challenge. A FROZEN LAND     The refugees land on a literally frozen world, both in temperature and time. Curls of icy wind hold swirls of snow aloft and an uncanny silence is broken only by the crunch of hoarfrost underfoot. Only Darma's protection allows the refugees to move through this frozen world — and movement is very necessary. Bitter cold sneaks through even the thickest clothing and without warning, a snowstorm rises: unnaturally quickly, a wall of white howls directly in the refugee's path. Bizarrely, the way back is perfectly calm; it's obvious that this storm is no product of nature. Magda's challenge becomes clear: the only way to Nadril lies through this storm. Visibility within the storm is near zero, the whiteout hiding any landmarks from view and making navigation near impossible. The only guidance refugees have is a sporadic path of faint, greenish lights, easily lost in the raging storm. Refugees need all the survival skills they practiced on Thesa Station to survive, for getting lost alone is a death sentence. Luckily, those separated from the group can happen upon guiding lights Magda has planted throughout the tundra. These blue-white sparks cause frostbite if handled recklessly, but they also serve as directional anchors, turning into ghostly flames that lead lost souls back to the path to Nadril. The trek through the storm will be no mean feat and will last for the better part of three days. By the time the refugees reach Nadril's gate, most will find themselves exhausted and running on fumes. As the snowstorm dies away and a gap in the glittering forcefield around the city opens to usher the refugees inside, it's clear that Nadril is a different beast. A WARM(?) WELCOME     I. Despite the unforgiving journey, entering Nadril is painless. Once inside, characters will be greeted by their predecessors: the original refugees who made this advanced city. They'll immediately be offered medical attention, as well as warm cider and blankets. But it's obvious that the Nadril citizens prefer higher tech to fend off the weather: they also offer wristlets and ear cuffs that that double as mittens and earmuffs by creating warm bubbles of air. The earrings also feature a few quality of life programs, such as timed alarms and thought-to-speech messaging. However, both programs are in beta stages so it's not unusual for a stray thought to accidentally slip through or an alarm to accidentally ring at an inopportune time. II. Refugees are offered free lodging in a large, crystalline building crafted from ice. Despite the coarse building material, the ice is unmelting and surprisingly well-insulated, and the beds are as warm and cozy. The rooms are, however, small. The sleeping quarters house two people, and are some cross between an igloo and a capsule hotel. Though built for efficiency over comfort, all rooms are also outfitted with the latest Nadril AI, RoboAlfred, or Ralf for short. This helpful program is installed in practically all the furnishings: the closet tells guests to bundle up, the bathroom sink reminds them to brush their teeth, and the mirror offers helpful fashion tips. Ralf's personality matrix still needs polish, though: it may very well insult your clothes and passively-aggressively question your lifestyle choices for the entire stay. III. Though not as advanced as Thesa Station, the colony has technology far beyond the rest of the continent, such as rudimentary AIs and mechanical transportation. Nadril's skyline is a point of pride — refugees can take a (literal) lightrail that gives an aerial view of the colony, which is hewn almost entirely from ice and rock. Despite its tech, Nadril is much more sparsely populated than Olympia and Wyver, and its residents stay near a central hub: a Natha refugee drop ship, Central, which has crashed and long embedded itself into the earth. Central is similar to an older, smaller, grounded model of Thesa Station, in functional order with round-the-clock solar power. Within Central are lounges similar to ones on the Station, though many of the damaged areas have been converted. They include repair stations, different wings dedicated to science, botany, astrology, and mechanics, and a research and history facility, which has a smattering of technology from planets beyond El Nysa — including your own. The staff here don't mind if anything is sampled and studied, but objects cannot be taken from the labs. IV. On the outskirts of the central hub, many will find several curious looking bots with insect-like wings perched about high traffic walkways. Simply passing the bots will cause a dizzying flash before a series of photos print out. Upon closer inspection, people will find that these images reflect stills taken from their home worlds as they remember it. Unfortunately, these photos only last a couple of hours at best. At that time, they will revert back to regular pictures of the refugees. People will be encouraged to share these images of their worlds. The residents of Nadril comprehend the value of remembering one's origins, and will be pleased to see that people still hold memories of old homes close to them. RECREATION IN NADRIL     I. Small, mechanical creatures scampering through the city are a common sight. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you that they come from a shop called Paws About Town. They’re very useful, as companions, gophers, and couriers (though the more mischievous will note that they’re just small enough to keep tabs on people without being noticed). Premade robotic pets are available on display inside the shop. They come in all shapes, but small sizes; one may be able to find robots that even look like miniature creatures from their homeworld. These are a part of a new, highly customizable line with programmable personalities. Customers have the chance to take pets for a one-day trial run. Those who don’t know how to program may want to enlist more knowledgeable aid, but the pets come with instructional pamphlets for basic personality traits such as obedience, helpfulness, playfulness, and bloodthirst. For returns, the switch to wipe the robot's personality to a blank slate is on the back of its neck, right between a switch to invert all traits, and a switch to have them learn by observing. Try not to press the wrong switch — you might wind up with a pet with a mind of its own! II. A. The Frosty Tap Cantina is a thriving hub of activity, but one of the major draws is the self-service bar: molecular mixology is wildly popular here. Playing with drink compositions can be a game in and of itself, and newcomers to the cantina will find that the bartender — a cheerful woman with lilac skin and three eyes — is always happy to give them a few tips on how to use the wide array of tools within reach of the barstools. All manner of drinks are possible — from glowing, layered cocktails, to clear drinks with colored, spherical bubbles and vividly-colored shots that give off their own smoke. There's a nightly contest in the cantina for the most creative drink created by a team — this may be as good a time as any to partner up with someone and see what can you come up with. Winner gets all their drinks for the night free! And, hey, even if you don't win, you get to drink whatever you make. The well-lubricated patrons of the bar are eager to challenge anyone nearby to a different sort of drinking game… Just how well can you hold your liquor? B. Holo-screens in the cantina are nearly always broadcasting some match or another of a game that looks very much like hockey, albeit played with sticks that light up and a puck that changes shape from time to time. Colonists here merely refer to the game as "the sport," and one of their favored pastimes is betting. However, they don't use currency — they wager dares. Nadril colonists are a tough, weathered lot, and they prefer to speak with actions over silver. Colonists will urge the refugees to take part as well. Common dares range from the ridiculous (lead a sing-a-long, attempt to make someone with a poker face smile) to the suggestive (kiss the person in the cantina you find most attractive, strip off a piece of clothing), to the outright reckless (venture out into the snow for a certain amount of time, and no one will judge if you find some company to keep warm). The colonists are unfazed by even the most insane or tawdry of dares — but you'll certainly be called a killjoy for refusing too often! Why not grab a friend and give it a whirl, or challenge a rival to a dare yourself? THE MISSION     I. On the outskirts of Nadril is the communications tower of the old refugees. This is where Magda resides, monitoring Nadril's technological protections, the extent of the Natha’s influence, and running his own personal projects for El Nysa’s technological advancement. It is isolated, filled with research labs and relics of the past refugees who have come to El Nysa — a living mausoleum of worlds swallowed up by the Storm whose peoples have refused to forget where they came from. Crew photos line the walls of the tower: pictures of alien families and friends, the refugees who came to Nadril before you. Each group of photos gradually becomes smaller in number, and the most recent of the pictures are from half a century ago. Magda's picture can be found among the first group of refugees, an unusually small cluster of photos dating back centuries in El Nysa's past. I have been on this planet for nearly two centuries. Life has come, evolved, and collided in an ever expanding culture. But Darma fears interference, and made this place a prison, with she our warden, stifling the growth of the creatures native to this world rather than encouraging them to flourish. She sent you here for answers in her stead because she knows I'll spurn her, and after seeing what that fool Raysc has wrought, I'll give you them — not for Darma's sake, but because I trust after all the Natha have done to you, you'll understand my decision. Mistakes were made, and I won't hide them. You've made it here so there's some mettle to you, and unlike the Orbiters, I'm not interested in hiding the secrets of the dangers we face. I gave Raysc what he needed to keep his actions hidden from Darma's eyes — what he needed to advance the primitive magics the Natha had doomed him to. It was old Natha tech, Darma's very own used against her. Hilarious, isn't it? Raysc learned of Nadril, and like you, braved the snow to find his way here. He proved his worth and his determination, and he spoke of a brighter future, El Nysa coming into its own, its people realizing their true potential, unhindered by the shackles that had been put upon them. I believed him. He had vision — or so I thought. In truth, he was a fool. A madman. He wasted the opportunity I gave him on his petty vengeance. But not everyone on this planet is such an idiot. Surely you lot aren't. The Natha are hiding things from us — about the Storm, about everything. And here in Nadril, we're going to find all those secrets. What's it going to be? Will you help us, or are you going to stay obedient dogs on Darma's leash? Magda isn't too talkative yet; after all, the new flock of refugees may just be here as eyes and ears for the Orbiters. But what he has said leaves you with plenty to talk about, and if you can earn his trust by helping out around Nadril, he doubtless has a great deal more to reveal. II. Central isn't the only Natha ship that made its way to El Nysa — another, crashed just outside Nadril's borders, is little more than a junk heap. It's here that you'll find the spare parts Darma asked you to retrieve for Thesa Station. What remains of the ship's hull serves as a windbreak, and snow has built up against it, turning the piles of old Natha tech inside into something of a snowy morass. Holes in the deck offer would-be scavengers passage to the ship's innards, barely illuminated with flickering lights — the tech is old, but hardy enough to withstand a crash landing, the severe weather, and the passage of centuries. Deep in the wreck are the remains of living quarters, research labs, VR arenas, mecha bays, cafeterias, and a host of other rooms, many of which may seem familiar from Thesa Station, albeit with a decidedly older feel to what remains of the smooth curves and sleek surfaces of the Natha architecture. Most of the ship's systems are damaged and the technology is nonfunctional, but that just means there's plenty of spare parts to be found. The wreck isn't in the best shape, its structural integrity damaged, and the drifting snow threatens to block off exit routes. Be careful while exploring and be sure to bring a partner. As it turns out, Darma isn't the only one interested in the wreck — Magda is also eager to get his hands on Natha technology. In his own way of taking some responsibility for Raysc, he's asking scavengers to bring him parts, muttering about seeing what he can do about Ysverai's curse. Bring him anything that looks useful, and he may have a chance to succeed, though whether he'll be more effective than the Natha Orbiters is up for debate... FINAL OOC NOTES     An AC-eligible thread with a new character as a participant for 2 NADRIL REP POINTS may be submitted from this log. SUBMIT THE THREAD HERE BY AUGUST 5TH, 11:59 PM EST. As always, feel free to create your own prompts and explore the Nadril location page! There are a variety of activities made available, including fishing and cave exploration! Please direct questions to the questions thread below! Thank you! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

I because Chuuya is much nicer than Mephisto

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Sneaking up on Chuuya is never a good idea, being ex-Mafia and all, and the second he feels arms wrapping around him he bristles, his ability activating on pure instinct. Luckily he turns to see who it is before he can throw them off rather violently.]

Link?

[Chuuya immediately stands down when he sees a familiar face, and once he notices the shape Link is in he immediately hands over his pin to share.]

Here. Wear this. It’ll help keep you warm.

[expiable]

[ His quick response makes her smile twitch (a shade of genuine amusement) as she steps back to admire her handiwork. For the moment, she abandons her competitor. You don't have to be a spy to guess how her vanilla offering might curdle a big man's ego, especially when she shifts her attention to a spectator instead. Maybe that's the point.

It's her turn to call a shot, so he'll have to wait. ]

I knew a fella like you could take it slow.

[flask]

Oh, not at all! I'm terrified!

[She's grinning broadly, though the edges of her smile may seem a bit panicked, now.]

I'm... Otto.

[She goes with her most recent drinking name, since she's a bit tipsy at the moment. She Does Not Give Her Real Name, Ever.]

You're right though, booze helps with things like this. And I have... certain people with me, so it's not as bad as it could be. When I woke up I thought I was alone and that was, um, pretty awful.

[hellzone]

[ Yoshiko's watching so intently as Nott knocks back the drink. She thought that this person might take it slowly but no, she's really going at it! It's truly impressive and a little bit awe-inspiring. She can't help but clap a little as Nott slams the awful drink down and comes up for air.

Congratulations, you have earned her respect. ]

A good job, little... [ huh wait, we have a problem now. ] ...little demon? [ she quizzically finishes. When Yoshiko speaks again, her voice is slowly moving from a lower, deeper alto to something a bit more high pitched. ]

Hey, Bottomless Pit, are you an actual demon? I won't judge, Yohane accepts little demons of all sizes and colors, but I don't know if someone can be a double demon.

[ her bullshit rules have internal logic. ]

i

[kikoku]

[Rocket catches Law's attention, not because he's unusual but rather he's actually weirdly familiar. Law had just been on an island of nothing but talking animal people. His first mate is a polar bear man. Maybe this is why he uncharacteristically strikes up a conversation with a stranger.]

Does the rest of the territory on these isles not have this level of technology?
[He's only been on the Orbiter before Nadril, so he doesn't have anything to compare it to.]

A warm welcome pt IV

[ofhousetarly]

[ Photographs did not exist where Sam was from. Drawings, paintings and rich tapestries were used to illustrate the stories of people from history and those in the present. Sam wasn't a master artist but he sometimes sketched things that he saw to document them. It came as no surprise that he was confounded by the concept of photographs at first and how they captured a moment in time...to be fair, Sam was confounded by a lot of things in this world.

One of the strange looking insect things catches him by surprise, making him stumble a little as it takes a picture. Then another. With a scowl, Sam grabs the pictures and stuffs them into his satchel before moving to get far, far away from the bloody things. On his way he comes across a young woman sitting nearby, with what looked like photographs in her hands. A cursory glance at her face tells him that she doesn’t seem happy and that she was new. To Sam at least.]

Excuse me? [ He begins politely (and at a comfortable distance) ] My lady, are you all right?

[hellzone]

The dark green stuff, with a hint of the cinnamon flavored thing and licorice liquor. I don't know why the ice cubes are purple, but they help soften the taste.

[ So no, Yoshiko has no idea what's in it. Thankfully it's not alcoholic, just absolutely disgusting. She doesn't seem too concerned with Makoto's judgement, though, as she blows the older girl off with a shrug and a, ]

It's fiiiine. I tasted this myself and it's actually pretty good!

[ As if to prove her point, Yoshiko brings the glass back to her and takes a small sip of Fallen Angel's Desire. She doesn't seem to be affected by it, despite the fact that the drink itself looks absolutely disgusting. It's definitely stained her teeth a little bit green, though. ]

wildcard.

[pebblestone]

by which i mean, write me a starter spoon


i will take advantage of this until i die.

a warm welcome 4 you

[planetary_bonds]

[Yusei was simply going to pass by when the pictures get waved in his face, and he stops in his startled befuddlement. They go by too quickly for him to make out what they are, but he can get the gist of them.]

They are...your friends?

[But almost as soon as he asks this, he's getting prodded towards the bots, standing by.] I don't-wait! It'll just be pictures of me, wouldn't it...?

[He doesn't get what the point is of having pictures of himself - who would want that?]

II Booze it up immediately

[dontgiveabuckland]

Hmm, not bad.

[The voice comes from over Nott's.... well her whole body because Cam is 6'2", but he's leaning over, checking out her latest concoction. It's very cool looking, but Cam tries not to look too impressed, instead pursing his lips, trying to look like a very serious connoisseur of alcohol.]

Is this for the contest? [Hand reaching up, he not-so-subtly flashes a golden pin on his lapel, kind of sort of insinuating that he might be a judge even though he definitely is not.]

[flask]

[Oh, this. This is her nightmare. She pulls out her flask and drinks some more, even though she's already drunk and can't get much braver than this. It does help wash down the drink she just had, at least, which still burns her tongue.

She wobbles a bit on her feet, raising a clawed finger dramatically.]

I'm not a demon! I'm just a halfling girl! With extreme syphilis!

[This is preferable to just admitting she's a goblin?? Apparently??? And she's completely forgotten the dare part of the bet she just won, she's too busy reeling over the Demonic Undertakings.]

parts

[planetary_bonds]

Hm?

[Yusei's got his own small collection of parts, but unlike Ren, he's not completely sure who he wants to give them to. He's not ungrateful to the Natha, but at the same time he wants to understand the Nadril more, why they've grown so bitter.

He wishes he had his bike, though. Yusei's gotten a little too used to being able to cart them home.]

That looks like... [Give him a second.] It's a common fuse component. Seemingly unimportant, but you'd be surprised how just missing one of these can throw something off.

III

[icingonthecake]

((i'm on mobile a lot, so brackets are not my friend, but you are welcome to bracket back at me!))

While Axel is a good bit stronger than his twiggy frame might suggest, he's not really here for heavy lifting. He's here for recon. The fact that he could also easily teleport through a wall and unlock a door from the other side could also be useful, but that's a bridge to cross if reached. He's been partnered with a very large man with very red hair, which he finds amusing, given how uncommon this particular fiery shade tends to be--what are the odds, right? What he lacks in forklift power, he makes up for with some pretty good intuition, even if computers and spaceships aren't quite his forté.

While the big guy rummages through some of the larger debris, Axel fusses with the front piece of what looks like it might be a control panel of some sort, trying to pry it off to see what's inside. He glances over his shoulder when the other man--Iskandar, had he said his name was?--inquires. Axel blinks in surprise at the sheer size of the piece of machinery he's holding, as if it were nothing more than an overnight bag.

"Wow, ah..." He dusts his hands off and abandons the panel for a moment, approaching the other man and giving the hunk of metal a look. "You... can put it down if it's heavy," he says benignly. It sure looks heavy. "I think it's a compressor of some sort, maybe part of the ventilation system?" He rubs his chin and gestures at the pipes that come off the main cylinder in the center. "I think this is the motor here, and the compressed air would come out down these tubes." He looks up at Iskandar. "A useful thing to have on a ship, but not necessarily tech that Magda doesn't already have." He gestures to the panel he was messing with before. "Think you can help me pry the front off that thing?" he asks then. "There's probably some computer components inside, and with any luck the casing kept them from being too damaged."

[flask]

[Nott looks up, not too startled because she's used to being towered over, but she does hold her hood a little closer over her head as she does.]

Um... Yes!

[A lie. But this guy has got to be a judge, right?]

My partner, uh, went to the bathroom.

[What is this contest even for, like what do people win for this... More booze? She hopes it's more booze.]

[expiable]

[ she downs her shot in answer. straight liquor all the way. ]

I know what I like to drink. [ which isn't a no. she leans forward in obvious interest, lifting her brows. ] Did you sample the world's finest?

[ not at all out of the ordinary. a seasoned traveler would possess his confidence in unfamiliar territory. ]

[natha]

Nadril citizens will tell her that the other cities on the list are full of natives to El Nysa. They speculate that Nadril was crossed off due to the difficulty native El Nysans have in reaching it. Many reach its snowstorm border wall and consider it impassable, making Nadril's status something of a fable. Doubtless the maker of that list reached the snowstorm and decided that Nadril had been destroyed, or something along those lines.

Re: skating

[colorature]

_{[Who is this Chuuni LARPer and what does she want with Diva? Not that Diva knows what either of those things are, but still? The chuckle gets a look thrown Yoshiko's way, before her brows are raising out of confusion.]}

Demon?

<sub>[Okay, so it's not the worst thing she could be misidentified for, but still. She's just about to correct the girl before her before she watches her flip and land on her ass. Sorry, give her a moment to laugh. That was pretty funny.

She's still wobbly herself but she hasn't met such a fate just yet.]</sub>

I'm not a demon! I'm a vampire!

also wildcard

[alibabas]

feel free to catfish me or give me more large threads, i'm not picky at all

if you want to deal with largemight dealing with delicate sciencey stuff i'm also here for that ig

[illuminating]

[Unluckily, she is not awake. For all the ebullience she's usually containing, she drops into sleeps swiftly and deep. He's so gentle in her approach, that she remains undisturbed, and keeps sleeping unawares.

In the REM period of it, her chest, from the side like this, falling and rising rapidly, blowing air in quick succession. Her consciousness isn't in the present, it's in the setting of dreams, and this is displayed physically.

Sorry, Ren. He'll have to be a little more persistent, if he doesn't want to ignore her. Of course, that's always an option.]

wildcaaaard

[willrevile]

[ It was hard to 'see' people out in the snowstorm, but Jim crossed her path more than once; checking in, lamenting being unable to see anyone's bum in their padded cold weather gear, maybe heating a rock for her with his phaser. (U DECIDE) But he was on the move constantly, if not forward than just around, aiding in the continuous efforts to ensure no one was lost.

Now, though, in the crystalline ice structure their lodgings are in, he's got a moment to breathe. Jim's got ice-burn on his cheekbones, looking even pinker than usual, but the bits of warming tech being loaned out are working wonders. ]

Hey, hot stuff, [ he says upon finding her, ] --actually I take that back, you still look like a popsicle.

[mollymocked]

Well, that's just vague, isn't it? [His words slur a bit making his lighter accent just a bit thicker, and yet he is very meticulous about how he shuffles those cards.] A tall, dark handsome stranger's just as likely to murder you in your sleep as anyone else. I'd give you a little more than that to go on.

[He props his long legs with those obnoxiously knee-high boots on the table, crosses them at the ankle and gives the ceiling a good look.] Normally I'd at least charge a few silver, but I'm in a generous mood. Call it an icebreaker. [He realizes his own pun and cackles a bit, boyishly.]

[illuminating]

It's me, [she affirms, the thought-produced voice she's sending into his ear chimes cheerfully.] Hello, [once more, his greeting alone, her tail waving harder, if such a thing's possible.]

[She has her lower teeth showing in casual paced panting, her excitement over this sort of technology keeping the rate of her heart up.]

It's nice to be heard. It isn't too much, is it?

scheming on the low

[planetary_bonds]

[Yusei likes to think he knows that expression, after a year or so of this. At the same time, he knows that could mean any number of things. There's so many things Mai hasn't told him, that he hasn't told her.

And then she has her outburst, and he understands.

His voice is quiet when he does answer, after a long, long silence.]

If you had your choice...would you have taken the yoke of this "leash...?"

[There's a tone of uncertainty. Because even now, Yusei still isn't sure what his own answer to that question would be.]

V hope you wanted to do a bunch of fortunes!

[dontgiveabuckland]

[More than a little soused himself, Cam Buckland does an almost comical doubletake when he catches a glimpse of Mollymauk, stopping mid-walk to wheel back.]

Tiefling. [It's less of an address and more just confirming to himself what he's looking at. It's been a rough day and he's had a lot to drink. His brain catches up with the question and Cam's eyes drift to the stack of cards and he quirks an eyebrow,]

Don't you already know my answer? Since you can read the future and all of that.

[From one traveling entertainer to another, he knows this is all bullshit. Except when it isn't.]

it doesn't have to be a snowman!

[icingonthecake]

Axel doesn't mind helping keep the fires going when the group stops to take the occasional break. He's not really known for his philanthropy, but there are kids traveling with them, and he doesn't want to arrive at their destination to learn that any of them had been lost along the way. It isn't like it's hard for him to keep an eye on the flames and give them a bit of a boost if the wind picks up and threatens to blow them out, anyway.

As he bites into a bit of jerky from one of the ration packs, he is struck sharply from behind and whirls, not sure if he should be startled and on guard or angry. When he sees Kagari there with more ammunition in his arms, though, the annoyance quickly turns to good old-fashioned Oh No You Didn't.

"Oh, now you've gone and done it," he says, adjusting his gloves and scooping up a bit of snow himself. He warms it just a little with a bit of magic to make sure it packs extra tight, then sends it flying, right toward Kagari's chest.