❪ 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

juno steel / the penumbra podcast

[stuns]

I. Through the Storm (Frozen Land)

[ the theia makes good work of keeping track of the various heat signatures along the way through the storm. with visibility being pretty much next to nothing, juno's relying pretty heavily on the lights that flicker occasionally and the motes of heat that are, for the most part, remaining in a group, but on occasion are fanning out into random directions. maybe you're having a tough time seeing, or maybe the storm's getting to be a bit much. either way, juno's moving ahead with a stubbornness in his clenched teeth.

his right eye glows a little like a beacon through the snow as he grabs someone who's straying off the path and tugs them a little. ]

Wrong direction, unless you're real keen on becoming a popsicle. C'mon, I got you.


II. Problems with Ralf (AI Shenanigans) ( Closed to Kagari/hedonistic )

[ are you ever just? trying to brush your teeth? or run your fingers through your hair? or are you just trying to really feel yourself out before have to deal with a bunch of people you don't really know or trust all that way? because juno's feeling Some Kind Of Way mid-brushstroke, the fault of several alarms blaring in his ears telling him he wasn't allowed to leave without brushing his teeth (as much as he promised to do it after grabbing something to eat.) The narrow bathroom mirror hums with a voice that sounds more amused than it should: ]

Smile! It's your best feature!

[ around a mouthful of toothpaste, juno grumbles: ]

Not really feelin' like it today.

Show us a smile! Come on. Just a little one!

[ juno ducks down and spits into the sink. ]

Tell me to smile one more time and this toothbrush is gonna find its way so far up your -

... Just a couple of teeth? Come on. Let's see those pearly whites!

[ juno calls out into the room he's sharing with one shuusei kagari, toothpaste foam at the corner of his mouth, brush in an iron grip. ]

Hey, uh, are you personally attached to this mirror at all? Because I'm about ten seconds away from smashing it in. It's really pissing me off.


III. Hard Pass (Frosty Tap Cantina)

[ look, he just came here for a drink. or two. or three. you know... whatever he's in the mood for. the photographs fluttering down on his way here haven't exactly done much for the hyperion-shaped hole somewhere in his gut, prying fingers with a view of its skyline, all mottled purple and orange and blue. juno's half lost in something that looks like it could be a manhatten, but much more fluorescent, when the bar's patrons start going wild and the screens start flashing that someone's made a goal. apparently however the hell this sport works, something good's happened. good enough to make someone bold as hell. a figure comes up and grabs juno by the front of his coat, about to lay some kind of celebratory kiss right on him.

which isn't great a great decision on their part, because juno's got a hell of a reflex, and the theia lets him shoot his hand out immediately to grab his own drink and smash it against the side of the offender's skull. there's a crack of some kind, and juno hopes they get the message that this lady's not really up for being part of someone's stupid sporting celebrations tonight. ]

Sorry, maybe I should have started with not. Interested.

[ he boots the stranger, a local by the looks of it, away from where he's sitting, glancing at the remnants of his drink in his hands with a little bit of glass embedded into his palm. with a withering sigh: ]

Dammit.


IV. Wildcard

[ exactly what it says on the tin. feel free to contact me at shibes @ plurk. ]

iii.

[shashka]

[ thankfully, Ocelot's mostly been able to avoid random displays of affection, with some clever maneuvering, and looking far too engrossed in one thing or another. still, when he sees one very unfortunate individual and his reaction, he can't quite help but feel a certain air of nostalgia. those were some impressive reflexes, and he's got to admire that.

(briefly, he wonders what John would do in the same situation? would his reflexes take over? or would he react like EVA said he did, and completely freeze up? hopefully one day, he might just find out)

regardless, it's enough for him to pick up his drink, and head over to take a seat next to the guy, not even bothering to ask if he has permission to. ]

I take it you aren't a fan of the local celebrations?

[ does this guy look like he's open for conversation? probably not. does Ocelot particularly care? no. ]

[stuns]

[ juno glances over his shoulders, tense already as someone is seating themselves beside him. the immediate instinct is to claim his space with a yell, but he takes a breath through his nose, sharp. he's pushing at an errant sliver of glass and dropping it on the floor unceremoniously, he remarks: ]

If it involves touching me I'm typically not a fan of it.

[ he looks up from his hand finally and lifts a brow, the theia in his right eye glimmering softly with the come down of the motion. ]

But you seem a hell of a lot smarter than the other guy.

[shashka]

[ Ocelot laughs a little at the other guy's reaction, giving him a closer look-over (was there something about his right eye, or was he just imagining it). there was something familiar about him, though he can't quite place him just yet, and it wasn't just the nostalgia. ]

Sounds like you make friends easily.

[ a little bit of good-natured teasing. ]

I try my best. Of course, most of the time, I'm not in the habit of kissing someone that I've just met.

[ of course, there are exceptions. but, he's hardly looking for more intimate company tonight. not when it wouldn't benefit him. ]

[stuns]

[ he can take it. ]

Well I'm a real charmer back on Mars.

[ folding his arms over the bar he leans into it a little, deciding that no, he's not getting another drink. because if he has to glass someone else in this crazy bar then it really isn't worth it. ]

Who're you?

wildcard......... idk

[willrevile]

[ The bar is a busy, noisy place full of people interested in poking newcomers with sticks and one-upping each other. And Jim's just fine with that. He invests hours into accepting dares and dealing them out, charming refugees from generations before his own and asking questions, getting into at least one almost-fight that ends in loud laughter and winning an arm wrestling challenge.

It's an aspect of himself that doesn't get out much anymore. It's made appearances in Wyver, being used when it suited him, but the stakes were different. Not higher or lower, just different. Here, Jim can press openly and not worry about the Natha's strange version of the Prime Directive. He leans hard into the hustler that existed before Starfleet, and makes out pretty well for it.

He's wearing an impressively nice jacket he won off somebody when he practically swans out the door to end his evening, and ducks a glass thrown at his head. ] Nice meeting you! [ he calls back at the woman with the excellent aim; she shouts her address at him.

Jim turns on his heel, making sure not to run into anyone - he's not drunk, but he's near enough to buzzed to be getting on with. ] Oh. Hey. Nice eyeball, I remember it from out in the snow.

[stuns]

[ juno's getting some air from the craziness of the bar, leaning up against the side of it and just taking a good look at this place itself. it's not quite hyperion, but the glowing lights and the people rushing back and forth make it feel almost like a fit. the photo in his pocket has long since faded and he's not sure if he should chuck it now or just keep it because it feels like a weight heavy in the fabric of his coat.

he's about to push off, drift wherever he wants until he's tired enough to head back to their sleeping quarters, when someone moves up to him and he turns a little on his own heel to face them. ]

Thanks, it comes in handy. Didn't ever think I'd be using it in a damn snow storm though.

[willrevile]

[ So he is one of theirs-- refugee, beamed down from Thesa, and Jim's not just hallucinating from alien booze. Cool. ]

Yeah, some ecosystem this planet has. Almost Earthlike in how everything changes two hundred miles apart. [ He moves away from the door of the bar, body language relaxed, but not planted. Happy to fuck off if Eyeballs doesn't feel like chatting. ]

Not a bad place to start life over. Or say that's what's going on, anyway.

iii

[flask]

[Even Nott, as drunk as she is, winces when she hears and catches the tail end of that encounter over her shoulder. And she's just drunk enough to think it's a good idea to approach Juno afterwards. But they like, had a rapport, right? She didn't just imagine that? She gave him booze and he was grateful? He took a small explosion for her? He probably won't kill her with a shot glass?

As she approaches, she carefully has her hands out in a placating gesture once he catches sight of her.]

I'm not going to kiss you!

[Just to put that on the table. Just clear the air right there.]

I can spare some bandages if you need them?

[In her inebriated haze, she doesn't realize this is his first time seeing her with her mask off. Whoops. Those are some teefers she's got going on. And a fashionable nose ring.]

[stuns]

[ juno blinks a little as she puts her hands up. he recognizes the voice almost immediately, but the face has him taking a second glance. it's different than before, but probably because she's got the mask hanging down, revealing a pretty interesting set of teeth. he doesn't seem too terrified of them. ]

Thanks for the reassurance - [ a muffled "ow!" as he lets a little sliver of glass fall to the floor from his palm ] - and uh... if you got em, that'd be great. I try not to bleed everywhere I go.

[flask]

[Yeah, her voice is kind of distinguishable. It's her best feature, thanks.

She glances over at his glass-embedded hand, and starts unwrapping some (...passably clean) bandages from her neck. They're looser and bundled up there, so that's where she can spare the most without sacrificing much cover.

Don't ask where they've been as she hands them over to you, Juno. That's two good deeds she's done for you! She is absolutely counting, and she hopes the folks at home are counting too. This is how she bargains for her life in advance.]

I think a regular punch might've worked just as well. You know, for next time. Or like, a kick? With shoes on?

[She DOESN'T WEAR SHOES so like don't ask her to kick anyone, but Juno's feet would do some damage. Probably.]

Or you could just throw the glass at them from a distance! I'm just saying, you had options.

doot doot rolls in for 2

[hedonistic]

[Having a roommate is a strange experience for Kagari. It'd sort of happened by accident--there weren't really enough rooms and people had to scramble for whatever was available so uH perhaps winding up with a stranger was somewhat inevitable.

Not that he's particularly complaining, really; after you spend seventeen out of your twenty-two years of life in an isolation facility, everything that's not a cell is literal fucking paradise, even being a hunting dog on a leash, like the last two years before the Storm came. And, to be entirely fair, the last time he'd shared a living space with strangers (i.e. his fellow government-employed prisoners) they'd basically become the closest thing he's had to family since he was five years old, so, you know. He's coming at this with a pretty open mind.

But still, it's pretty weird. He's spent the majority of his nine months or so of actual real freedom living by himself in a barely passable shack in Wyver, accountable to nobody for the first time in his life, and now he has someone sharing a room with him and asking him things like if he cares if the mirror gets smashed.

Kagari doesn't bother getting up from where he's flopped on his own bed, playing some kind of PSP game (yes, he brought it through the snowstorm; a man's gotta have priorities okok) and lets out a laugh before he calls back to the bathroom:]

I mean, pretty sure the AI's not like, in the mirror, but sure, go ahead. It'll be funny to see how offended it gets.

sorry for the wait!

[stuns]

[ withering a little: ]

Uuuugh. Stupid... dumb AI.

[ juno's jaw works just a little bit before glancing back at the mirror and giving it a pretty nasty look. he's got an (unfortunate) point in that the ai is probably tucked away somewhere within some kind of... motherboard or whatever. rita would know exactly where it is. would probably be able to mess around with it too if she were so inclined.

he rinses noisily just as the ralf speaks up: ]

You missed your back molars.

[ FUCK OFFFFFFFFF. ]

I heard it calling you a hamster a while ago. Who thinks that making an AI like this is a good idea?

no worries!

[hedonistic]

[He can't help but cackle a little bit at Juno's defeated grumbling, not to mention the surprisingly tame choice of words. Kagari doesn't comment, though, opting to respond instead to the question, regardless of how rhetorical as it likely was.]

Bored people, probably.

[He can't remember if his family had one, before his life went to hell. But he sure can't deny it got old very quickly.]

Guess you don't have a lot better to do when you're living in an oversized popsicle, though. Least these guys have an excuse--these kind of things were all over the place in Japan.

iii

[thedarkbond]

[Sitting a bit further down the bar from Juno is a man with long red hair who's been watching the dares go on with what only seems to be passing interest. Ren is fond of games and challenges, but a lot of what's going on here just seems to be uninteresting needling.

Case in point, that last dare. Ren's about to look away with a quiet sigh when he hears the sound of breaking glass and turns his head back, suddenly much more alert. Looking from Juno to the collapsed local, he conceals a smile with another drink from his own cup before slipping from his own seat to pop himself back up next to Juno instead, draping his long hair over one shoulder to keep it out of the way.]

Some people can't take a hint, huh? [Ren's tone is light, with an odd interplay in tone between intentionally vapid and knowing.] I can help you with that if you want.

[He points to the glass shard in his hand. Ren's got thin and fairly deft fingers, so he might have an easier time of getting it out.]

[stuns]

[ juno's shoulders tighten a moment from the excess adrenaline, the theia humming softly somewhere where it meets his brain. he closes his eyes for half a second, cradling his own hand and averting his eyes from the blood even though he can feel it slick on his hand. the price you pay, he supposes, for getting a little violent. dully: ]

Some people are just looking for a glass to the head, I guess. Whatever scratches their itch.

[ his brows draw a little at the offer. ]

You some kind of doc or nurse?

[thedarkbond]

No, but I'm pretty good with my fingers and expected to do worse on the way here. [Ren says that brightly, as he reaches into his pocket and withdraws a still-sealed gauze bandage. He's the kind of person who can trip over his own feet in a moment of bad focus, and he doesn't have anyone else to be prepared for him while he's here, so unfortunately he's going to have to start doing it himself.

He also notes the slight tilt to his gaze, and adds, in a slightly more grounded tone:] I don't mind seeing blood, either.

[He's seen some things in his psychic images, suffice it to say, that mean it's become very difficult to put him off with things like bodily fluids.]

i

[breadmuffs]

[It shouldn't really have been possible for Caleb to wander off at all, given that he has two companions and one is pretty keen on keeping him alive. (The other one is a little flightier. Molly doesn't look out for him the same way Nott does.)

But the snow is brutal and they're all feeling the effects. Caleb manages to fall behind and lose his group. Which is fine, he'll find them the next time the group makes camp. He's not worried, she's probably better at surviving than he is. Although perhaps not as used to the cold.

The snow storm is a little bit hypnotic, and Caleb doesn't even realize he's starting to drift until Juno grabs his arm. He startles maybe a little bit more than he should, halfway to jerking out of Juno's grasp before he realizes what's going on. His other hand rises halfway before he drops it to his side.]

Ja, thank you. Sorry.

[Because maybe he was about to blast him.]

[stuns]

Don’t be sorry, just be careful.

[ juno can’t blame him for startling when visibility is next to nothing and he typically tries to avoid getting caught in sandstorms. he can feel the tension when he grabs him, but figures the hand is more for a physical strike than anything. other than that. now that he’s got his attention, juno lets go completely, giving a nod backwards in the direction of the heat signatures he can see in his periphery. ]

Last thing anyone wants to do is have to backtrack and find our frozen asses out here.

[breadmuffs]

No, that wouldn't be helpful.

[Caleb looks in the direction that Juno is nodding towards, but he sees...white and more white. He squints, trying to see if he can determine anything else, but:]

You're sure it's that way?

[Not overly skeptical, just making sure.]

another iii, what a rough night.

[desistor]

[Given that the drinks are sort of a no-go for him at this point, he's largely here for...well. The ambiance. And y'know, the getting a feel for the local color. He's doing a pretty good job of wallflowering, for a guy that's broadly built and well north of six feet and hauling around a great big glowing greatsword at his side.

And he's stopped, mostly, for the same reason Juno has. The fluorescent skyline doesn't ring as familiar, not precisely enough for recognition. Not a close enough match for all the many and varied renovations he'd seen Cloudbank shift and grow through, through the will and the whims of its people. But there is a Cloudbank feel to it that most of Nysa hasn't gotten within a mile of. So...he stops.

Until the little raucus breaks out nearby. Juno breaks it up easy himself, but—]

Ouch. [Mildly, carefully wry. In the time it's taken Juno to sigh down at his bleeding palm, Boxer's positioned himself strategically between Juno and the opposing party and the bulk of the crowd, besides. Turned most-way toward the perpetrator, even it his attention seems to have split. Largely on Juno, even if the rest of it is still on the crowd. (In the periphery of his attention, the Transistor tallies up the targets. Mechanically, matter-of-fact. Few of them register as significant threats, which is...well, it's something.) As if breaking up barfights is something of a pasttime of his. (Or an occupation.)

Still, casual as all get-out—] Guess he had that coming. [And, another half beat later—] You okay?

it's better than most

[stuns]

[ juno doesn't realize it right away between the slight nausea turning in his stomach at the blood on his palm and the adrenaline still coursing down his arm. the theia is swimming just a little, trying to right itself from the come down, so when he does notice that someone is standing in front of him, it's with a half-squint as his cybernetic eye traces over the shape in front of him, the lights within it small and bright. ]

Peachy.

[ wavering just a little. he clears his throat. ]

Just peachy. Hopefully it'll remind 'em to keep their crappy games over there instead of over here where decent people are just trying to get a drink.

[desistor]

[He's pretty patient. Takes in the answer (the little waver in the voice, the little glint of light in the eye that may or may not be reflecting off the lights in the bar) with a little tick of a brow but little else. The sentiment, though—he snorts.]

Yeah, sure. They seem like real reasonable bunch. Bet they're real busy working up a statement on the error of their ways. "We sincerely regret any trouble our actions may have caused—"

[This is mildly put but very wry, trailing off as the masses in question punctuate the bad joke with another raucous cheer...but at least one that stays in its own corner, for now. If nothing else, the scuffle has managed to clear out this corner of the bar. Made less interesting to the masses than the shifting of the score on the monitors, given how quickly Juno had settled the matter.

Still, after a beat, he tips his head toward the nearest empty barstool.]

Mind if I sit?

i!

[tricksune]

[ How long have they been walking, now? Yusuke's in a better place to stand up to the frigid wind and the hundred thousandth snowflake tossed in his face than some of their crew, but trudging along would take its toll on anybody.

His mind wanders for a second, and a second's all it really takes to go from walking in a straight line to a slight curve, off into the great unknown to starve and/or freeze to death.

That is, until a tug at his sleeve puts him back on-track. He blinks out of his daze and over his shoulder, staring for a moment before recovering. ]

—Ah! I can't say that I am. Thank you.

[ Though he doesn't seem all too happy to be led back on the beaten path, either. He lets out a frosty white breath, deflated. ]

...It's monotonous to look at, isn't it?

[ White on white, with only a few specks of light or someone else's back to break it all up. It's no wonder it's so easy to lose track of where they're going, but almost as offensive: it's just boring to watch. ]

[stuns]

[ no one really wants on this beaten path in the middle of nowhere. relatable as hell. juno squints a little bit at him for a beat before shaking his head and letting go. he's got his attention, he'll lead the way back, unfortunately, in the direction of where everyone's signatures of trudging along. ]

Monotonous? Guess that depends on what kind of entertainment you're looking for a blizzard, but yeah sure, getting a little tired of being constantly attacked by frozen water.

[ he digs his heels in a little. ]

If we're real lucky maybe something'll come out of nowhere and give us a show.