❪ 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

[gravemistake]

[Gabriel, for his part, isn't laughing, but he tends to give the impression that he doesn't laugh very much. Right now, he's focused on the closest thing he can equate to a mission, which is making the three-day journey to Nadril unscathed and unfrozen. It's easier said than done, even for someone like him, someone who's ostensibly trained for this sort of thing. This time, he doesn't have the luxury of ending the simulation.

Neither does this guy, who seems to be in much worse shape. Despite his outward demeanor, there's still very much a part of Gabriel loath to leave anyone behind, teammate or no. If he's supposed to be cooperating with the Orbiters, then it follows he shouldn't do anything to draw attention to himself. Leaving a fellow refugee to fall behind in the cold seems a little sociopathic, all things considered.

He comes to a stop, and waits.]

You don't sound very convinced.

[That is to say, Gabriel isn't very convinced.]

[alibabas]

[ Oh god why is this man still talking

A calmer Futaba will know that he means well — but when she's as crowded as she is, sensibility becomes a foreign concept. She wants to get out. Suddenly needs the safety of her four walls ( as unfamiliar as they are, now ) like she needs air, where no one will be speaking to her or bumping into her or — anything, really.

She was supposed to be better about crowds. She was better about crowds, but progress is never a steady thing.

So, she takes another step backward. Then another. She plans to turn and run into the nearest alleyway to breathe when she ends up backing into another solid object. Another man, who's definitely not as well-meaning as Richie is—

What the hell, kid! Get out of my way! ... And here she is, stuck between a rock and a hard place. ]

[pullsheavendown]

What? Why, what's he been doing?

[Roxas is a little alarmed to hear Axel might be acting reckless, even if he's not surprised. After what he'd seen through Sora's eyes back in the space between worlds, he can't help but be a little sensitive to anything that might threaten Axel's safety.]

[expiable]

[ not at the Academy, no, but at HYDRA, surely, where recruits are asked to shoot their own dogs to prove their loyalty (even still, it's not like the Red Room, where Natasha bled her sisters in the snow). It marks Rumlow as unlikely to die out here, regardless. ]

[ with a quirk of her lips, not quite a smile. ] In the same books as Baba Yaga.

[ Fairy-tales, like so much of the Widow mythos. Her knowledge of the terrain comes with practice, no supernatural improvements required. ]

It helps that I'm lighter than you.

[ Rumlow's built like a brick shithouse. ]

[flask]

[Nott has to cover her mouth under her mask to keep herself from screeching in surprise when the little feathery robot trips over her foot unexpectedly. Sure enough, its current owner follows after it, and she looks up warily at the woman, mask loose due to her hand being beneath it.

Hurriedly, as if suddenly remembering, she readjusts her mask against her face.]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Yes, play dumb after being caught. That'll work.

Besides, Nott doesn't want a free trial. She wants to add this rat to her collection forever.]

[jesus_is_gundam]

A dancer... [He has to let that one roll around in his head for a moment. Initially, its a strange mental image, an army of shepherds with Olivia dancing behind them. But Setsuna pushes that image out of his mind. It's not until a few moments later that he thinks he has the gist of her role.]

Are you some kind of morale officer?

[alibabas]

[ While Nat processes the scene in front of her ( which isn't all that complicated, just one extremely nervous girl in her room that looks a little like deer in headlights ), Futaba's busy working herself to a conversation again. Some semblance of one, anyway, while she also figures out the best way to get the lady out of the room without offending her too badly ( not because that's impolite, but because ... offense tends to lead to anger. And anger is much, much harder to cope with ).

She breathes. Inhale, exhale. Her hands holding each other in front, as she attempts to keep from fidgeting. Head held as high as possible, which doesn't end up very high at all. ]

It's — it told me I should find new clothes. [ How do you win over people in visual novels again? Establish a common ground, so that the conversation can continue, and hopefully unlock their name and maybe some basic profile information.

... Smile? ]

[garbagepilot]

[As a scavenger herself, Rey knows she has a view of taking things that don't belong to her that's probably different than what most people have. She's done that for years to keep herself fed, alive, and it's not something she would ever fault anyone for or tolerate being shamed for.

You have to do what you need to survive, and no one knows that better than she does.

The thing is, though, that she took things from dead people. People who would never miss them, who would never know that their power converters or selenium drives would go towards making sure a little girl didn't starve to death in the desert. They have food here, things provided to them, and stealing - or scavenging, isn't necessary.]

Alright.

[Is what she goes with, and she lets it go because she has no idea what this small creature has been through. From the looks of her, the nervousness and a mask hiding her face, Rey can't help feeling like maybe it's not so different than what she herself has faced.]

If you want a diversion while you leave, I could help.

[fisherwife]

[She looks a little surprised despite herself.] Never?

[Although she doesn't need the hand, she's grateful for it anyhow and takes it for extra leverage as she pushes herself out of the hole.]

It's very relaxing, even if you're not trying to catch your next meal. Of course, my version is a little different from the normal way. [She gestures to the trident for emphasis] But I do know how to do it that way. Would you like me to show you?

[ukase]

[HYDRA had strong beliefs about their soldiers on the front lines, especially those who had combat skills that would be actively creating the kind of change that could change a man or woman's mental health with continual exposure to the bad shit of the world. As he had come to understand, those particular recruits had to be broken and built from the ground up first so any breaking would have them leaning back on all that shit put in their heads in the first place.

He smirked back on her, like this was all old times, just another mission for SHIELD. Don't mind the knives they were likely to pull on each other in a moments notice.] Heard she was a terrifying bitch. They like to scare you with her when you were just a wee thing?

[This might actually be one of the first conversations where they had talked about something that wasn't a mission or he needled her for the in-house latest gossip.]

You callin' me fat, Romanoff? I'm offended!

[flask]

[Even drunk, Nott is surprised at how pleasant this person is being. Not just agreeing to her bet, but pulling up a stool for her. Normally, she'd be suspicious, but she's pretty inebriated and emboldened enough to approach random strangers, so she simply (clumsily) clambers up onto the stool that's nearly her height. Which is part of why she doesn't usually go for barstools, but you know, it was offered.]

So... how do we know if he commits a foul?

[What even constitutes a foul in this game? Possibly not a good question to be asking after the bet's already been agreed to, but.]

[alibabas]

Not real magic like this, if you're still enchanting things. [ Real presumptuous of her, but the robotrat's in her hand, isn't it? Her confidence is boosted with each passing second, and there's a grin on her face when she plugs the robot into her laptop once more.

( Once she gets this done, maybe she can ask this ... girl? about what real magic is, anyway. ) ] Trust me.

[ — And she scrolls, types, scrolls, then types some more. Then types for a while, before she raises both hands away from the keyboard to give a— ] Hocus, pocus. [ And click on something on the screen.

... Five seconds later, this rat uses its tail to unplug itself once more, running straight for Nott. ] Heheh. See?

[alibabas]

[ God, it's so cold. Unsurprisingly, she's not built for the cold in the slightest.

And technically that would be her fault, considering she didn't pay a lot of attention during the simulation. Foolish of her, really, because she of all people should know that training levels are there to help you succeed ( usually by giving you a lot of freebies ), and now she's just jumped straight into the deep end while being extremely ill equipped.

But she needs to persevere. Somehow. One way or another. It's not the most successful thing she's pulled off, but one step in front of the other, don't fall asleep in the snow, and—

That's a voice.

A voice is probably the best thing to have happened to her at this point. She perks up, immediately, fear of strangers completely forgotten because the fear of dying is a real, solid thing at the moment, ] Hello??

Where— where are you?!

suddenly jack frost nipping at people's noses sounds even weirder than it already did

[gekkajuu]

Oh, it was wonderful!

[How to rub in someone's bad luck by trying to reassure them: a manual by a weretiger.]

Olympia is an amazing city, and there's the lovely ocean side as well... The Empress is a lovely person, too.

[... And now it's all frozen. Even Atsushi's poor cub...]

... You'll get to see it eventually. Once the Natha fix things.

recreation

[pullsheavendown]

[Roxas spends some time looking around the shop with interest. The robo-animals are really cool, way different from anything they sold in Twilight Town or that he saw in any world. He's not about to get one for himself, though. Seems like a lot of responsibility, and as nifty as they are, he doesn't see himself as a robot person.

Until he sees the big-eyed bird honk and fall over and immediately falls in love. He watches for a moment, enchanted, before hurrying over and crouching next to the girl.]

It is? So the real thing just can't walk very well?

[gravemistake]

[Well, Gabriel supposes that's one way to gain control of the situation. He's staying away from the betting and dares himself, but he imagines that if he had to do them, this is how he'd get it handled. Or maybe just get the loser to buy him drinks all night--he's not that altruistic. He's keeping an eye on everything happening around him (he'd be a poor excuse for covert ops if he didn't), but Gabriel still manages to look a little offended when the drink finally makes its way to him.]

Very brave of you.

[To not only come here with a drink, but to invite himself to sit down as well. Still, Reyes seems to realize that this situation is inevitable, and he might as well just ride it out to avoid causing a scene. It's not, however, without a long-suffering sigh.]

I've had better.

[Reyes imagines that much is obvious simply from the look on his face. It's nice to be out of the cold, at least.]

[flask]

[Nott just looks at the woman for a few moments, her eyes widening in a blank stare around slit pupils. What could this person possibly get out of helping Nott steal the newest piece of her collection? This isn't like Caleb helping her steal, the two of them struggling to survive and support her itchy, sticky fingers, where he understands her and relies on her. This is a complete stranger. Nott doesn't even know her name.

But she's offering, and Nott's already been caught. If she doesn't agree, who knows what the woman might do. If Nott does agree, who knows what the woman might do. She's a complete unknown.

She balances both options quietly, and then nods.]

If... you really want to.

[gekkajuu]

[Rest assured, Thor: the one with the worst haircut of the multiverse will always be Atsushi. He guarantees it.]

I see! [Atsushi is instantly sympathetic, even if this big man can surely take care of himself.] That must have been quite a shock. There hasn't been a landing this rough in -...

[He tries to count back, but honestly? There have been some messed-up landings for new arrivals. Like every other wave, at least...]

...

Well, you know how it goes!

[No. No, the whole point was he doesn't know.]

[notwagging]

A lot of humans think it. Some ask it. Guess I'm a bit of a mind reader, huh?

[ which makes him laugh, his ears wiggling as he does so. the wolfskin certainly knows what attracts people, whether it's the fluffiness of his furry bits or if his generally positive albeit strange behavior does, but he's happy to oblige.

though, he cants his head and looks at Ren a little off to the side. ]

Unless... you're not thinking about taking my fur, are you?

[ because he really SHOULD ask about the other guy's intentions, see how he reacts. ]

[flask]

[Bold of her to assume Nott would trust anyone. But Nott lets her handle the rat, a bit nervous despite the girl's solid resume, and stares closely as she works on this... strange contraption.

It has a window similar to the windows on the Station and around Nadril -- or a "screen" -- only it doesn't show an image of another part of the world. It just shows a bunch of words and punctuation that doesn't make the first bit of sense. It looks like the girl is adding more words. Instructions for the rat?

Then the rat, with a mind of its own now, runs back to Nott and scurries up her leg, climbing all the way up to settle on her shoulder. Holy crap.]

It's like a translator...? It interprets your instructions into the machine's language.

[The rat squeaks in a way that honestly makes Nott a little hungry, but since she can't eat this one, she just scritches its head with a gentle claw.]

[garbagepilot]

[The few times on Jakku that Rey allowed anyone to help her, they went pretty terribly wrong. There's no forgetting Strunk and Devi tricking her into trusting them after six months of working together to restore and repair a broken down star freighter and then watching them fly it away as she left it in their care to go negotiate a price for it, and it's just one of many things that diminished Rey's faith in the goodness of people in general.

The worst part, though, is that even still she has hope. Hope that the few people she's chosen lately to let into her life won't do the same, hope that strangers, people like Nott, won't always be terrible.

Maybe, at some point, she'll run across people who don't only think of themselves.]

I don't think you'll need a tip when it's time to go, so just be ready.

[She stands up tall again, and her grip on her staff doesn't loosen. Instead she holds it out too far as she turns to look over things, a few different robots here or there, and the little robotic porg decides that rather than follow her it wants to peck at Nott's shoe, trying to find a reason it fell it over.

Not seconds later Rey has caught a display of what seems to be replacement power sources with the end of her staff, perfectly angled far from Nott and the exit, and she pulls the entire thing over while making it look like a total accident.

Score one for team steal the robots.]

[garbagepilot]

[By the time Roxas is there she's bent down herself to help the poor little thing right itself, and she smiles faintly as she scratches under its chin.

It isn't really alive, but that's never stopped her from being affectionate with a droid before.]

They can't do much well, sadly. I think their brains must be very small. I'm not even sure they can fly more than a few feet a time.

[nevernoaction]

[Okay, that makes Ren smile a little bit.]

Maybe a little bit. My name's Ren.

[nevernoaction]

"No, not at all. I was given information on how the world worked and I was free to make my own decisions."

Or just to quietly observe what he could and take mental notes on everything else. But her clarification of her remarks did make sense. She sounded a bit like the teachers at Beacon.

"That's a very useful skill around here. You'll be busy, once more people realize it."

[desistor]

[It's a real shame he's going to be such a disappointment to her in a tag or two. Sorry, Foot.

But hey, would you look at that. A sight for sore eyes, the little white readout that the Transistor had been struggling to hone in on her direction with finally pinpoints her as she speaks out. Settles into a thoughtful, slowly approaching, slowly blinking >... as it tries and fails to come up with something more useful. For his part, it takes him a second to place the voice over the gusting wind. She is, still, pretty faint.

Still, safety in numbers, probably. For both of them. So, he answers easy enough. Raises his voice as best he can, since he's not exactly in a place to come out and meet her.]

Not too far. Little further to the left. Your left. [Not...his left. And, after a beat to let her advance and see if she corrects course—] Yeah, getting warmer. Or...you know.

[Metaphorically warmer.]