natha: (Default)
ɴᴀᴛʜᴀ orbiters ❰ mod collective ❱ ([personal profile] natha) wrote in [community profile] nysalogs2018-07-16 04:47 pm
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❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets

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!

sweetwater: (038)

[personal profile] sweetwater 2018-07-27 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
And yet, I still don't have to like.[ being annoyed gives her something to focus her energy on instead of worrying about her friends that are in stasis. ]

So what's your deal, other than your whole brooding, vaguely handsome aura? [ is that a compliment? it's hard to tell. ]
dancerefresher: (And now)

[personal profile] dancerefresher 2018-07-27 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
[It might, and she's already in danger SO...]

A-all sorts?

Tales, and horror and real stories...?
dancerefresher: (And now)

[personal profile] dancerefresher 2018-07-27 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
[Trash, naturally.

But she ducks with him, her head close to his as they walk in, thinking that he ducks so that he wouldn't hit his head. Or hers. Though...the light brush was kind of strange, but whatevs.

...wait what?!]


I-I don't think I said that?
yelliot: (pic#11868002)

sorry for the late!

[personal profile] yelliot 2018-07-27 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
[His life is hard, okay? Sure, Leo might be awake again and that's a weight off his shoulders, but that doesn't free him from any of the other things that have been troubling him the past few months.

The sudden hand has Elliot jumping in place like a startled cat, head whipping around with a glare until he notices...the hand belongs to a practical giant. A mountain of a man who's practically beaming down at him.

What...do...

Uh.]


...If it isn't too much trouble.
morbide: ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ: pixiv member id=1593915 (you're gonna die)

[personal profile] morbide 2018-07-27 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
Why would I slurp up a drink I've mixed up for some other lucky fellow? [Frederick: The Lucky Fellow.] That would be rude of me. But I'm definitely in the market for feedback, so drink up! Waiting to see your face afterward's killing me slowly!

[The drink bubbles insidiously. It beckons.]

You'll love it. Trust me. If you didn't know any better, you'd think I whipped it up HEX-specially for you.

[Is it cursed? ...Yes. It's cursed. Do you dare, Frederick?]
sweetwater: (030)

[personal profile] sweetwater 2018-07-27 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
[ understandable, based on what she's heard about Clarke's world. ] Do you ever wonder what our lives might have been if our homes still existed? I think about it a lot. Everything was changing. It could have been better.
dancerefresher: (And now)

[personal profile] dancerefresher 2018-07-27 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
[She thought she might end up pulled into his arms. Instead...she yipped in surprise, finding herself floating off of the ground.]

It-it's...

[Give her a few moments, she's never seen anything like this.]

W-what kind of magic is this?
summertimeblues: (062)

[personal profile] summertimeblues 2018-07-27 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
Care to impart your secrets? I look like a poor man's Matisse for a month before I get to inch back to humanity. I could earn a pretty penny scaring kids at a horror house come October, I'll bet.

[Of course. His first suspicion was the right one, no matter how uncanny the resemblance. Jimbo was still bundled tight too, there could be more to split the duo apart once he unswaddled and wagged his chin freely.

The only thing left to do was clear his throat, punt his chin high and march on. Pretend like it ain't no thang. Get out of this blistering hell fridge.

But as he resumes walking, the strangeness won't shake loose of his mind. Ever the testament to loudmouths he is, Richie's first query fires off before he can stop it.]


Were you close?

[He couldn't imagine being so himself, should someone show up with his own face. He'd get a lot of laughs out of it maybe, but underneath the bluster it would be a touch too eerie to deal with.]
nineteenfortyfive: (SINS)

[personal profile] nineteenfortyfive 2018-07-27 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
[There's a bit in the way, and Claire's not keen on seeing any photos of her own memories, and so she motions aside.]

Would you like to walk it off a bit? Might help distract you.
dancerefresher: (seamstress for the band)

give me those big ol' kitten eyes instead

[personal profile] dancerefresher 2018-07-27 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
[They could do this. Existing...living...well. Olivia would rather live, if she has any say about it. Those existing...well...she thought it was only those that were sleeping in the pods.]

That's-well. That's good.

[So they would see the Natha with rosy glasses, even feeling in debt to them. But...what Atsushi brought up troubled her.]

So...do you think we'd be able to ask the Natha anything...? Or if we did, if they'd tell us anything...?
morbide: ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ: tegaki.pipa.jp/515705 (あはは~)

[personal profile] morbide 2018-07-27 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
[Henry nudges a piece of the ship so distorted it's beyond recognition; it rattles, and Henry decides it's not worth investigating.]

Huh. But if she's not a pilot and only a captain, wouldn't that just mean she only bears responsibility for what inevitably happens, rather than having any control over what does happen? [Instead of bothering with that old thing, he hovers closer to Mikazuki's work.] Oh well. If we ended up like this ship, it's not like there'd be anybody left to hold her accountable! We'd be part of the rubble!
reek: (pic#10294168)

[personal profile] reek 2018-07-27 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ It’s true, his size is intimidating, but Theon has met large men before. In fact, Reinhardt reminds him of Greatjon Umber in more ways than one, though the Greatjon’s spirited laugh alone would have been enough to frighten the fish away within seconds.

Theon doesn’t glance up until the other man begins to shift. He hesitates, clearly holding back, not wanting to tell him what to do out of fear that he may suffer consequences for it. That was always how it had been in the Dreadfort.

But this isn’t the Dreadfort he reminds himself. And this isn’t Ramsay. Carefully, he ventures to speak once more:
]

There’s still water beneath us.

[ Of course there is, fool, he scolds himself, dragging a hand over his face as he tries to find better words. ]

Any movement we make up here causes some sort of vibration down there. It’s the same as if you were to throw a stone into the water, only…lesser. Either one tells the fish not to come near.
sparsity: (166.)

[personal profile] sparsity 2018-07-27 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ A couple of converters not totally eaten away by frost lie inside, so he works at prying the dead cords away. ]

I guess so. Maybe that's why this Magda person is mad at her. [ Finally, he pops the switches and yanks his prize out. ] Then again, they seem to be doing okay out here on their own.

[ It's more advanced than both Olympia or Wyver, anyway. ]

You don't seem that worried about it.
1701: ( commission / dnt ) (0160)

[personal profile] 1701 2018-07-27 06:27 am (UTC)(link)
"Cool."

Does Ianto need a tranquilizer. Oh dear.

"I mean, I've never heard of it, but it sounds cool. Are you alright? Do you want to go get some fresh air?" Jim's as easygoing as ever, though one eyebrow does inch up slightly, expressing the barest thread of concern.

"I'm not mad at you for not telling me earlier. It was classified, I get it."
heirworthy: (pic#12374771)

[personal profile] heirworthy 2018-07-27 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ know that Sandalphon vicariously lives to smash people's expectations of him into tiny pieces.

which means that Sandalphon stays still near the edge of the lake, watching Cain start towards the entrance of the cave and back to civilization with a judging expression on his face.
]

How is that different from you taking a dive in the water? [ i mean, it's def the same as his idea and all. using bait.

but that's beside the point, actually. he only said that as an offhand remark after the failed attempt to goad the creature with the rock. how is provoking what may be a dangerous creature with food anything good or sane? like sure, he's done it before to his senpai by ripping people's wings off but he's sorta realized the error of his ways already.
]

Other than walking through the ice and snow once more.
heirworthy: (pic#12374779)

[personal profile] heirworthy 2018-07-27 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ don't all cats look smug tho? smug and lazy, for most of the time. ]

I'm uncertain if being compared to Vyrn is favorable. [ he says this thoughtfully, resuming his coffee which he has briefly forgotten in the exchange.

red little lizard that likes apples, possibly a realm-upsetting creature in reality. perhaps if one likes the upsetting part, then it's a favorable thing. he also considers those "knights" who is clearly as familiar with Vyrn as him.
]

... In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if I knew these knights as well.
reek: (pic#11689536)

[personal profile] reek 2018-07-27 06:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ The idea of two Westeroses isn’t quite as bad as it used to be, but it still drives Theon half mad. So many things are different. He wonders sometimes if he would find himself as little more than a stranger to people he’d known for years if they were to wake from the Westeros he’s never known.

Even the other Theon is a stranger to him. Returning to the Iron Islands was never in his plans. In truth, he had no plans at all. He simply wanted to get himself and Jeyne far away from Ramsay.

He’s already exhausted, and Jon’s refusal to directly address the subject is only exhausting him further.
]

You know what I’m asking you. You hinted at it before. Mutiny can result in quite a few different outcomes.
heirworthy: (pic#12429541)

[personal profile] heirworthy 2018-07-27 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ why do people love giving him stuff? it's not really that he's uncharitable but—

Sandalphon considers her coat and scarf and boots, snug-fitting to ensure that not even bit of the cold can approach her. it's clear to him that she's unused to the chill and needed to bundle up to venture out like this. so handing over an item that helps her keep warm and cozy to him when he's just mentioned that he's totally fine, the cold doesn't bother him ...

he accepts the pendant but doesn't really wear it. instead, he keeps it between his hands. the scale is warm against his skin, proof its supposed effect.
]

Thank you, but you should refrain from lending your precious items to someone you don't know. [ he holds it out back to her after a few minutes, satisfied with the warmth he received. ] I might simply take this and keep it for myself.
reek: (pic#11720654)

[personal profile] reek 2018-07-27 06:59 am (UTC)(link)
Most people never liked me when I was the opposite.

[ Ramsay didn’t like him when he was mouthy, even Robb got after him for his crude remarks on occasion. Even before Reek came into being, Theon walked a line of never knowing quite what was right to say. The only difference had been that he had the freedom to say it back then.

At even the mere suggestion of being carried, he grows agitated, anxious. His fingers grip tightly at the folds of his own clothing. He trust Claire with clinical procedures and the occasional hug, but that would have been entirely too much.
]

No. Please don’t suggestion that—I’m fine—I've been fine. I wouldn't have needed anything of the sort.
reek: (Default)

[personal profile] reek 2018-07-27 07:17 am (UTC)(link)
No.

[ Despite everything that’s happened to him, he hasn’t grown soft to the plights of others. He’s grown frail, he’s grown meek, but he has not grown gentle. He has his own troubles and he doesn’t like to involve himself in the troubles of others.

He’s not lying. He has very little information on he subject. How could he, when he was so busy hiding away?
]

I’m sorry. I wasn’t there. What I've told you is all I know.
1701: ( commission / dnt ) (0022)

[personal profile] 1701 2018-07-27 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think this ship or the one in the center of the city is going anywhere, [ Jim says. ] I'm pretty sure the spare parts Darma wants are for Thesa Station.

[ And Jim is very concerned if these aliens are having that much of a hard time obtaining the parts they need. They magic up all kinds of stuff, what's the problem with replacement gears?

Then again, maybe it's just to see who'll do what they ask. ]
priorly: (➣ fluor)

[personal profile] priorly 2018-07-27 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Well why not tell him that and maybe he'll be offended enough to snap out of this. Or never tell him and he won't be forced to cut Jim out of his life forever, either way.]

It's um. Um, I'm. [Surprisingly hard to pin down.] I'm Prior.

[A perfectly good WASP adjective as a name.]

I'm tired.

[One of those two things may be his name.]
luxoraculi: (pic#11643286)

:>

[personal profile] luxoraculi 2018-07-27 07:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ Lunafreya has had years and years to perfect the aforementioned spine of steel, and even with it she still feels just a tad bit unprepared for this particular encounter. Everything is still fresh and new, she's still trying to adjust to this new life, to come to terms with the fact that she is alive but their world is gone, even after all the work and sacrifice. To have Ardyn here dampens her spirit just a smidgen, but it is what it is and she's going to have to endure regardless.

His voice irks her, his existence is maddening, and she's unsure what she should be feeling right now. Anger? Sadness? Despair? She does not particularly feel any of those emotions, not strongly at least. Anger does stand out the most, to think that he, the bringer of such chaos and despair, has also been given a second chance in this place... it does not seem fair in the slightest. But when has life really ever been fair? ]


Indeed I am. I see you've not changed much... I take it you've fared well here, then.

[ It's more of a comment than a question, that last bit. Her expression does not change much as she accepts the photo, which is quickly tucked away with the other two. ]

Thank you. [ There it is, that politeness that she will never be able to push aside, not even for him. ] An entire year... you've seen quite a bit then, I take it?

[ With the photos out of the way, she is able to properly fold her hands in front of herself. ]

Tell me, Chancellor. What is the last thing you recall from home? Before the Storm, that is.

[ Because she and Noctis have very different recollections of it all. Noctis had stated that ten years had passed for him, and he looks the part. But Ardyn looks ever the same, which makes it difficult to gauge just how much time had passed for him. ]
dancerefresher: (pirate smile)

[personal profile] dancerefresher 2018-07-27 07:32 am (UTC)(link)
Don't drip! Don't drip!

[Remember the app You? Olivia is being her hot mess of herself. She jumps to her feet, flailing a bit.]

I-I'll go ask!

[And she'll take off, and thankfully one of the refugees take pity on her. She comes back with an entire roll, fumbling with taking off some from the roll.]

They gave me this? Is it right?!
heirworthy: (pic#12374768)

[personal profile] heirworthy 2018-07-27 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sandalphon's quite good at making himself unseen. it's not really an actual ability but he's more keen in finding spaces where he can avoid pretty much everyone, sober or drunk, and savor his drink in peace. then again, it's not very difficult in a dimly-lit bar.

he's a little reluctant to share but—
]

If you pass by right in front of the barkeep, then you'll find the right person to ask.

[ it was a coincidence. Sandalphon had gone to find something strong to keep his wits about and of course, he'd find coffee being nursed by a resident whose unfriendly expression seems to ward off people than invite them. all it takes is the right question, really. ]